Nightmares of Matchmaking
by GodlyJewel
Summary: It seems there is a problem in Valentine Town. Apparently, the winged archer has lost his touch and now his depression is driving St. Valentine to the breaking point. It's up to Jack and Sally to help Eros get out of his funk. However, how will they be able to help when it means meddling in the affairs of one of their new friends?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hey there everybody, I'm back! Sorry I've haven't posted in a while. Kinda been crazy, but I hope to have more stories coming soon—especially since the plot bunnies started wearing ninja masks. Anyway, this is just another story intertwined into my NBC series. I got the idea after Valentine's Day. Sorry, it's kinda late, but I hope you all enjoy. Just remember to leave a review, please.

I want to say a special thanks to Werejaguar of Halloween Town, CosmicHorse, and my friend KC for helping me with character lines. Cosmic and KC really helped filling in for both Al and Kat, as well as other characters. And Werejaguar, thank you so much for editing this thing. Who knows how many mistakes I'd have if you didn't spot the "helpful" autocorrected edits.

**Disclaimer:** As always, I don't own _Nightmare Before Christmas_. That belongs to Tim Burton. I want to thank CosmicHorse for helping put the cover image (characters made on Azaleas Dolls) together with a background I found online.

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**Nightmares of Matchmaking**

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Request**

It was a quiet afternoon in Halloween Town. All around town ghouls and creatures were taking a day for themselves. The previous day had been spent in celebration of Valentine's Day. The decorations had been taken down, but there were still hints of red and black confetti caught in-between the cobblestones. Everyone in town had enjoyed the party despite the theme being a bit unusual for the Halloween citizens. However, they had managed to take their own spin on the holiday for the party.

Instead of pink and red heart cutouts hung everywhere, the townsfolk used real hearts as decorations. The Witch Shop was even selling candied hearts and all spiderwebs had been specially woven to incorporate little hearts into their designs, while the jack-o-lanterns that lined all over town were lit with red candles. There were all kinds of treats too: fried tarantulas, scorpions in red heart-shaped lollipops, chocolate covered beetles, and other wicked creepy goodies. And much like the New Year's party, everyone had dressed in midnight black or blood-red colors. It had been a fun night but now everyone had seem to decide today would be spent relaxing at home.

Up at Skellington Manor, Jack and Sally were sitting in the living room enjoying the quiet afternoon. They had decided to take advantage of the rare moment of peace and enjoy an afternoon to themselves. They had also gone to the party, but had slipped away early to enjoy a more romantic setting at home.

At the moment, Jack was reading aloud from a book, _The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe_. Sally was nestled close to his side with her head laying against his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and a warm smile graced her face. She was not asleep but listening to Jack as he read, his melodious voice relaxing her. Zero was listening close by as well. He was curled up on his bed but unlike Sally, he was fast asleep. Jack turned the page and began to read the next line.

"There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There was much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. To and fro in the seven chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these — the dreams — writhed in and about, taking hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet. And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die away—they have endured but an instant—and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart. And now again the music swells, and the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from the many-tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods. But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; for the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes; and the blackness of the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Jack looked up from the page wondering who it could be. He was about to get up to investigate when a soft murmur drew his attention to his fiancé. "Jack, what's going on?" Sally asked. She sat back against the couch rubbing her eyes.

"Someone's at the door," Jack replied. He leaned forward to set the book on the coffin table and stood up. "I'll only be a moment. Sorry to wake you, Sally."

"Hmm? Oh, you didn't wake me," she assured him, her eyes still closed. "I wasn't asleep. I was just caught up in listening to you read. I could listen to your voice for hours, Jack."

Jack chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I won't be long."

When he opened the door Jack was not prepared for who was standing on the other side. "Valentine?" he asked, quite surprised.

Indeed, the leader of Valentine Town stood right outside the Pumpkin King's door. He was still sporting a grey tux, pink vest, and rose-tinted glasses. However, his usual proper attire was slightly askew. His shirt and vest seemed rumpled and his chestnut hair looked as though he recently rolled out of bed. Even his beard seemed a little shaggy. Jack was confused. The few times he had met with the Holiday Leader he had known Valentine for keeping up a calm, logical appearance. As Jack looked closer, he could see the deep, dark circles under Valentine's tired eyes, making them look even darker gray, like an approaching storm cloud. Something had to be wrong.

"Is everything all right?" Jack asked, quite concerned now.

Valentine removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his other hand. "Terribly sorry to intrude upon you, Jack, but I am in need of your assistance," he explained. There was a gruffness to his voice when he spoke.

Jack held open the door. "Please, come inside."

"Thank you." Valentine replaced his glasses and stepped into Skellington Manor. Jack led him to the living room where Sally was waiting. She was surprised to see Valentine, but before she could ask any questions, Jack was leading the other man to one of the more comfortable chairs in the house. Seeing how exhausted he was, Sally slipped into the kitchen to make some herbal tea. While she was busy, Jack sat down on the couch across from Valentine. He noted his friend seemed more relaxed, but there was still much tension in Valentine's posture.

"Valentine, you know you are always welcome here," Jack began, "though I confess, I'm a bit worried. I hope nothing is wrong, but has something happened in your town?"

"No, no." Valentine shook his head. "I can assure you that my holiday is fine and well. The events of yesterday were one of our highest success rates by far."

It was then Sally returned with a fresh pot of pumpkin spice tea. She set the tray on the table before pouring a cup, and handing it to Valentine. "Thank you, my dear."

"My pleasure," Sally replied, filling two more cups. "Sir, if nothing is wrong with your holiday, then what seems to be troubling you?"

Valentine's demeanor then changed from tired to a more angered expression. "It's that moronic imbecile, Eros," he stated through gritted teeth.

"Eros? Whatever could be the matter with him?" Jack inquired. He took a cup of tea and waited for Sally to join him on the couch.

Valentine sighed. "Jack, you must understand that while I am in charge of caring for my holiday, that is only part of my work. Each holiday is unique in it's own way, but there are certain exceptions." He moved to place his cup on the tray before continuing. "Now, the holidays for Easter and Thanksgiving only need a few months to plan for their events. Even Sam spends his days testing new fireworks when there's been no significant political change. Then there are the other holidays. Patrick tends to people who remember what he did for Ireland, while also keeping close tabs on the people who tend to overindulge on his holiday. Afterwards, he usually spends his time to his studies. And you, my friend, must spend your days testing new ways in which to cause fear without harming anyone."

"Of course," Jack replied. "We would never intentionally hurt anyone. That was one of the reasons I had Oogie Boogie banished in the past."

"And I am glad that creature is no longer a threat," Valentine stated. "However, you are still able to take time for yourself until it becomes necessary to prepare your holiday, if I am not mistaken?"

"Well, yes…"

"Now, think of Nicholas and I," Valentine continued. "You might think our holidays run in a similar manor as the others, but there is a slight difference. You see, while the elves work year-round making toys, Nicholas must use that time monitoring the children's behavior. It is his job to ensure that children receive gifts, but while he cannot play favorites, he must also not award insubordinate behavior. Understand?"

"I think I do," Sally replied. "He wants to make the children happy, but he cannot encourage bad behavior by giving them whatever they want."

"Correct," Valentine replied. "So you see, his job requires more than simply gifting the entire world with presents."

Jack took a nervous sip with his tea. What Valentine was telling them about the other Holiday Leaders' job only brought about the guilt he felt about trying to take over Christmas. Oh, he had read in the books he had "borrowed" about the famed Naughty and Nice list, but he had not really put that part into practice during his own sleigh ride. Seeing this, Sally placed a comforting hand over Jack's. The sight of his engagement ring on her finger calmed Jack's nerves. It was a subtle reminder that Santa had forgiven him, and that it was all in the past.

Still, Jack was puzzled by what all this had to do with Valentine's current distress.

Taking another sip from his cup, Valentine went on with his story. "Now, as you know, Valentine's Day is a day for those to express their feelings to those they care about. Over the years, as with any other holiday, mine has been subjected to commercialism. That is part of the reason I employed Eros, to take the responsibility of the vulgar excuse for over glorified commercialized views on love. The boy loves the spotlight anyway," he clarified.

"But like Nicholas, I too have another aspect to my duties as leader of my holiday. You see, before all this nonsense with cards, chocolate candies and bouquets of roses, it was my duty to see to the happiness of couples. A job I take seriously to this very day. Once the excitement of my holiday ends, it is up to me to spend the rest of the year ensuring that same love and happiness remains balanced. As Nicholas monitors the behavior of children, I look at the hearts of every person around the world. I see their true selves and use that to put them on the path to finding their happy life. Now, sometimes I must be cruel but it is only to ensure that love is not taken for granted. This is where Eros and I differ. That fool would take an arsenal of those poisoned arrows of his and turn the whole world into a mess by pairing up anyone he thought would make a suitable couple."

Jack and Sally were silent for a moment. They had no idea there was so much work the other holidays had to endure.

"It sounds as though you have a lot on your plate," Jack finally stated. "I understand your concerns for your holiday, but I'm afraid I still don't understand. Has Eros done something that has upset your balance somehow? You mentioned he can be rather, uh, spirited, but…"

"Believe me, Jack, I wish he _was_ his flamboyant self. It would be far more tolerable than this infantile state he has so graciously bestowed since last night," Valentine interrupted. "I swear, he is driving me beyond my tolerance of his infernal shenanigans. If I had remained any longer in my world with that irksome brawling scold, I would have…" He was pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to keep himself from another outburst. "Forgive me. I'm not one to be angered easily, but this time I am losing my patience with that boy."

"What has Eros done?" Sally asked, hoping she was not prying too much.

Valentine sighed. "For the last century Eros has taken it upon himself to challenge the more stubborn mortals reluctant to fall in love," he began to explain, though it pained him to talk about it. "Every year he choses one person he deems desperate for love, and focuses his energy to making their fantasies into reality."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Jack commented.

"Normally, I would agree with you, but last night the fool ran into a snare. You see, it was the first in a long time someone was able to resist his arrow."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"The details of the incident are unknown to me," Valentine replied. "Eros refuses to speak of it, but apparently it does not keep him from acting like a spoil child that does not get his own way. Even his wife is unable to console him, though she has only made matters worse by coddling him."

Taking a cleansing breath, Valentine stood up from his chair to formally address the Pumpkin King. "Jack, the reason I have come here today is to ask for your help," he stated.

Jack stood, Sally following right beside him. "Valentine, I'd be honored, but what could I do to help?" he asked.

"It's not just you, Jack," Valentine added, turning to gesture to Sally. "I require the assistance of both you and your fiancé to aide me in this matter."

"Me?" Sally asked.

Valentine nodded. "My hope is to cure Eros by bringing you both to my town," he suggested. "While a constant annoyance to my work, I do require Eros' power to ensure a balance in my world. If he continues in his current state, I fear my holiday will be thrown into chaos. He won't listen to me, but I would hope he would listen to you."

"We appreciate the offer, Valentine, but how can we help?" Jack asked. It was not that he was unwilling. On the contrary, he was excited for the chance to visit Valentine Town. He still remembered his first trip to Christmas Town and recalled the experience of all the new sights and sounds. He could only imagine how wonderful a town must be that celebrated love. Though he knew it would be less macabre than what he might picture. And he would be going with Sally, his dearest friend and soon-to-be wife. It was perfect! Yet he still did not understand what he and Sally might be able to do to help out. After all, this was a bit out of their element.

"As you may recall Eros tends to have a rather abrasive personality when around young ladies, especially those on the cusp of love or around those engaged to be wed," Valentine stated, adjusting his glasses. "My hope is that by seeing you and Ms. Sally together, possibly with some discussion toward your upcoming nuptials, that he might revert back to his rather usual vivacious self. If there is one thing I know Eros loves more than playing matchmaker, it is that he adores planning a wedding."

"Is that so?" Sally cast a nervous look toward Jack and spotted the same apprehension on his face. It had been over a month since they announced their engagement, but they had not gotten much done towards planning it. Sure, they had a few helpful ideas from their friends, but there was still much they had yet to get around to.

Jack extended his sincerest apologies. "Valentine, while we appreciate you came to us for help, I fear we would not be able to do much. Sally and I haven't exactly done much planning for the wedding, I'm afraid."

"It's true," Sally added. "We haven't even picked a date."

"That's all the better," Valentine replied, starting to become a bit more enthusiastic. "With so little planning, and the amount of time you've been engaged, Eros is sure to snap out of his doldrums to assist you."

"Well…" Jack hesitated. He looked to Sally for her opinion. She looked as apprehensive as he felt. However, Valentine was in trouble and needed their help. She gave him a nod.

"Alright Valentine, we're both in."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Just wanted to quick reference some things. The description of Cupid's home was pieced with elements from one of the versions of the _Cupid and Psyche_ myths. Since I was using those characters, I really wanted to incorporate more elements from their story. Also found a bunch of stuff about flora and fauna that have connections to love and romance for Valentine Town. Now, lets' see what Jack and Sally think of this place!

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**Chapter 2: Stupid Cupid**

_Valentine Town__…_

"Oh thank you, sir! I almost strangled Gregory for the error. I promise, it will not happen again."

"Brandy, you must try to control yourself," Valentine stated as he signed the last of the forms. Handing her the papers, he adjusted his glasses. "I understand your principles but I will not have one of my staff become frazzled over insignificant details like this.

The woman now speaking with Valentine had been the first person Jack and Sally had encountered when they stepped through the heart-shaped Holiday Door. As it happened, the door brought them into Valentine's personal office. He told Jack and Sally that the door had been relocated a few years back to make trips between the Christmas and St. Patrick's Door. The three saints had known each other long and made a habit of meeting ever few years or so to catch up. Once the three of them were out of the office, Jack and Sally did not see anyone until after they rode the elevator down to the lobby. There they encountered this young woman Valentine had called Brandy. Unlike Valentine, Brandy was dressed in a white lab coat that revealed a black tank top, a red plaid mini skirt and black thigh-high boots. Her long silver hair was tied back in a high ponytail and she wore black and red glasses over her violet eyes. She had practically jumped on Valentine the moment the elevator doors opened, complaining about an error down at one of the factories.

With a few signatures and some reassurance that everything would be fine, Brandy skipped off and Valentine led his guests out of the building into town.

"My apologies for the delay," Valentine stated as they walked through the streets. "Brandy is the head of our candy hearts factory, and she becomes terribly perturbed if the wording is illegible. She's a stickler for grammar."

"Not a problem, Valentine," Jack replied. Admittedly, both he and Sally were more caught up with their surroundings than when Valentine had been approached by one of the residents.

There was just so much to look at. The sky above was a brilliant blue instead of gray and there was so much color, even more than what Jack had seen in Christmas Town. The only difference was that instead of a quaint little town, Valentine Town was like an enormous city. There were large buildings and factories, and a few small shops placed here and there. Everyone was dressed in variety of clothing. Some wore business attire like Valentine, while others wore more casual clothing like Brandy, and then there were those, mostly the people closer to the smaller shops, who wore Grecian style clothing similar to what Jack had seen Eros wear the last time they met. Yet, no matter how many people they saw, they all seemed to be busy working and everyone was paired off with a partner.

As they walked through the city they would occasionally be stopped by one of the citizens bringing more problems to Valentine. From what Jack could gather from the snippets of conversation, it appeared that every building in Valentine Town that was not a factory served as a research facility to better improve romance scenarios. There were even a few buildings for dealing with break ups and how to move on from a bad relationship. Both the Halloween citizens were quite impressed now that they could see all the work Valentine dealt with. Even Jack was surprised at how calm and collected Valentine seemed as each new dilemma was brought to his attention. He would patiently write them down and then give directions on what was to be done, but more often he would apologize and state he would resolve the matter at a later date. No one even seemed to notice the skeleton and rag doll walking behind him.

Jack leaned close to Sally, whispering to her, "Could you imagine what the Mayor would think about all this?"

"Oh dear, I'd rather not," she replied. "No offense to him, but he doesn't exactly handle pressure very well."

Jack chuckled. "None taken, Sally. He does worry over every little thing, especially if I'm not around to keep his head from spinning off his shoulders."

Sally laughed and swatted his arm playfully. "Jack, you're terrible."

As they walked toward the outskirts of town, they approached what seemed like a forrest. When Valentine started to lead them through a grove of impressive trees, Jack began to wonder just how far Eros lived from the town. Even Valentine had stated that he himself lived at the top of the tallest building to be closer to his factories and workers. That appeared to be the opposite for Eros.

"Well, here we are," Valentine stated as they walked. "Eros's home. Honestly, he is far too into theatrics."

Meanwhile, Jack and Sally were both in awe. They were walking through an enormous garden of beautiful flowers, particularly lovely roses. There were also elaborate white marble fountains with crystal blue waters shooting out in a fantastic display. Beyond that was Eros's home, though "home" was understated; it was a palace! Now Sally had never seen such a grand home before, other than Jack's manor, but Jack had been in the human world. The architectural layout of the palace before them reminded him of the Phaistos Palace in Crete, Greece. The only difference was that this building was not in ruins.

They nearly lost pace with their guid as he began walking up the steps without them. When they finally caught up, Valentine was having a heated discussion with an odd man at the door. He stood just two feet shorter than Valentine and he was wearing a postal uniform. He would have seemed normal by Jack's standards had Sally not pointed out his shoes. Surprisingly, tiny golden wings were fluttering on both heels of either shoe.

"Hermes, I've told you, stop delivering this rubbish," Valentine ordered, gesturing to the pile of boxes. "This is not helping in the slightest."

"Hey, I'm just the messenger," the other man replied angrily. His winged shoes began to flutter rapidly and he flew up so that he was eye-level with the Holiday Leader. "Someone needs a message or delivery, I take it; that's my job. You want me to stop, then get the kid to stop calling Big D for the wine and chocolate."

Valentine simply adjusted his glasses and sent the strange man on his way. He then turned to Jack and Sally. "Terribly sorry about that," he replied and gestured to the boxes. "But this is part of the problem. Unfortunately, Dionysus is far too fond of the boy and sends him plenty of that ambrosia whenever he get likes this."

"What is this?" Jack crept closer and inspected the labels on the boxes. Some of the contents were familiar and others were some Jack had never even heard of. There were heart-shaped boxes of assorted chocolates, chocolate bonbons, sappy romance movies, and tissues. There was even a particularly large crate that contained chocolate whine.

"What is it all for?" Sally asked, rather curious about the contents herself.

"It's Eros's way for dealing with his problems." Without another word, Valentine pulled on a golden cord by the front door. The sound emitted was like the tune of wedding bells.

They waited a few moments before the door opened. Standing there was a beautiful young woman. The first thing noticeable about her was the butterfly wings fanning behind her in an array of purple, blue, and fuchsia hues. They gave off a similarity of a stained glass window as the light past through them. The young woman also had ivory skin and long waves of golden hair that reached down to her hips. Her large eyes were even bluer than the sky framed by long eyelashes, and her lips were pink as flower petals.

"Hermes, I thought I told you… Oh! Valentine, thank goodness!" the woman replied, eyes filled with worry. She reached for Valentine's hand and all but dragged him inside. "Hurry! Eros already went through all the ice-cream and now he's demanding even more chocolates. I can't snap him out of it."

Jack and Sally quickly rushed to keep up. They barely had time to notice all the interior designs of the palace—golden pillars supporting a vaulted roof, walls enriched with rural carvings and paintings that were pleasing to the eye; rooms filled with treasures of art and flora—as they kept pace with Valentine and the young woman. For someone of her size, it was surprising that she could be dragging Valentine over the foyer and up the grand staircase. All the while Valentine was doing his best to calm the woman.

"Please! You have to do something!" she shouted.

"Now Psyche, I've told you to stop indulging him like a child," Valentine warned, pulling his hand from her grasp. "You are his wife, not his mother."

"You think I don't know that!" she shouted. "Even my patience is running out, and I've tried everything to snap him out of this. I even went as far as modeling that French bikini he got me last spring. He wouldn't even look at me! All he did was ask me to leave him be and then he called that damn Hermes again!"

"Perhaps we came at a bad time…" Sally whispered to Jack.

He nodded in agreement. "It would appear so, but Valentine needs our help."

"Now Psyche, please try to control yourself," Valentine continued. He gestured to Jack and Sally. "After all, we have guests."

It was then the young lady noticed the two Halloween visitors. "Oh! Sorry," she apologized. "I'm normally much more polite, but with my husband off on another one of his fits, it's hard to focus on anything else."

"Oh, please don't worry about it," Sally insisted.

"It is perfectly all right," Jack added. "I just hope we will be able to help."

"Judging by that ring on your lady's finger, I'd say you are more than qualified." She gave them a smile and extended her hand. "My name is Psyche. I am Eros's wife."

"Pleasure to meet you," Jack said, shaking her hand. "I am Jack Skellington from Halloween Town. And this haunting beauty is my fiancé, Sally."

"It is nice to meet you," Sally greeted. She was blushing slightly at Jack's comment.

Psyche shook both their hands. "Always a pleasure to see a young couple in love," she said, "and the timing could not be better. I'm sure once my husband sees you two lovebirds, he'll come out of this episode."

"Let's hope so," Valentine added. "Now then, where is he?"

Psyche sighed. "At the Looking Glass, where else?" She directed her attention to Jack and Sally to explain. "That's how Eros finds all the people on Valentine's list of matches. It lets us see anyone in the world."

"Fascinating!" Jack whispered. "Perhaps once we've helped Eros, we might have a chance to see how this strange looking glass works."

"Don't get any ideas, Jack," Sally warned, knowing his curiosity usually led to trouble. Jack gave her a nervous smile.

They followed Psyche until they reached a large door that was partially propped open. Psyche motioned for them to remain quiet as she entered the room. It was very dark, but there was a faint light coming from somewhere near the back. After a moment, Psyche waved her hand for the others to follow her inside. As the group got closer, they saw what could only be described as a large waterfall. The water was crystal clear and silent, but the light coming from behind it only highlighted the image being displayed. The scene depicted a young woman sitting at a bar talking with a man standing nearby. They were laughing and teasing each other, and the young lady was smiling with a light blush crossing her tanned cheeks. She tucked part of her long dark hair behind her ear and batted her eyelashes at the young man.

"LOOKS AT THIS! THIS! This is what I was trying for! The love between Kat and Val has never been seen before! This-THIS is what I wanted for her and SHE… SHE THROWS ALL MY HARD WORK OUT THE WINDOW LIKE IT WAS A DIRTY TRASHCAN FULL OF POOP! Woe! Woe to the highest misery!"

The sudden outburst was instantly followed by an onslaught of hysterical sobbing, and murmurs of self loathing. From behind him, Jack could hear Valentine groan. "Is something the matter?" he asked.

"For heaven's sake, Psyche, how long has he been watching last night's matches?" Valentine questioned, turning to Psyche.

"This is new," she whispered back. "First, he just stuck to cheap romance flicks, then the break up films. I am not sure when he grabbed these."

"Pardon me, but what exactly are we watching?" Sally inquired, glancing back at the screen. "Will and Al once told me about movies, but it sounds like this is not one of those."

"Indeed," Valentine replied. "As you can see, this is a recording from one of the matches Eros arranged last night. The Looking Glass can peer at anyone in the world, anywhere and at anytime. We use it to ensure the happiness of couples, while also as a means to alert us when something goes wrong."

"This is quite interesting," Jack said, "but what does this have to do with Eros's condition?"

"That is what we are going to find out." Valentine then walked to the other side of the room and flicked a small switch that turned on the lights, revealing the light creme colored room. For a moment, Jack had thought they had stepped through another portal and entered to a world on an exotic beach oasis. A few steps from the marble floors became golden sands. There was also more plant life and many animals roaming about. Up on the shore, beautiful white doves nested in tall apple trees. Some horses were grazing below on the lush green grass. He glanced over at Sally and found she was looking at something on her hand. Looking closer, Jack awed at a small insect that had perched itself on his beloved's index finger. This bug was not like any he had seen in Halloween Town. This round little creepy-crawly was bright red with black spots along its back.

Psyche noted the quietness of her guests, and turned to find Jack and Sally staring at the little bug. She giggled. "Look at that, you made a friend," she said, pointing at the little creature. "You're in luck, Miss Sally. Ladybugs are known for being bringers of good luck, though in Asia they're believed to be little love messengers."

"Love messengers?" Jack asked, looking at Psyche. "They speak?"

"No no. The belief is that if caught and then released, the Ladybug will faithfully fly to your true love and whisper your name in their ear so then they will hurry to your side," Psyche explained. "If one lands on you and you make a wish, the number of spots on the Ladybug's back will tell how many months it will take for your wish of love to come true."

"Oh!" Sally gasped as the little bug flew off from her finger. It then landed on Jack's shoulder and stayed for a moment before flying off again, this time disappearing beyond the waterfall.

From where the waterfall fell, a large pool filled with champagne waters stretched over the floor. At the center was a sort of island accessible by a floating bridge made of oyster shells. Psyche motioned Jack and Sally to follow her. She led them across the bridge, allowing the couple to take a few moments to absorb their surroundings. The water teamed with different creatures: pink dolphins, starfish of many colors, and on the surface, pristine white swans glided across the water's surface in a water ballet. By the time they reached the island, voices could be heard coming from the center. They edged closer, the voices becoming clearer to reveal Valentine, quite livid, standing off to the side and shouting down at a mound of pillows.

"You're behaving irrationally, Eros. How many times must I tell you the indisputable fact! The matters of the heart cannot be forced. Furthermore, you were supposed to give me these reports _last night_! You know the rules!"

"Oh, but Vally, you just don't get it! I had everything set so perfect! The atmosphere, the setting; everything should have worked perfectly. But that darn, stubborn girl!"

"I don't care if it was Adam and Eve!" Valentine retorted. "What's done is done. You cannot change time. Now, I want you to pull yourself together as a holiday representative. This is hardly dignified. And to further the matter, we have guests, so I suggest you show some etiquette."

As they finally caught up with Valentine, Jack and Sally got a proper look at Eros. Valentine had not been exaggerating; Eros was a mess!

The Valentine angel was slumped against a mountain of red, pink and purple heart-shaped pillows. On the left were countless mounds of tissues and on the right were endless empty cartons of all manor of sweets. Eros himself was looking worse for wear. Instead of his Grecian clothing, he wore a red wine satin smoking jacket that had been lengthened to reach his ankles. The robe also had a black furred collar with gold piping and a gold male symbol embroidered to the left breast pocket. His feet, which were usually bare, were now adorned with fuzzy pink bunny slippers. His usual bright blue eyes were dull and had dark circles under them. His hair was limp and lifeless, as though it had not seen a comb or brush in months. His mouth was completely coated in chocolate that made him resemble a toddler eating a chocolate cake.

Psyche pulled away from the group and knelt down at Eros's side. "You big idiot, I told you not to mix ambrosia with the truffles. You know what that stuff does to you!"

"Leave me be," Eros groaned, pushing her aside. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"Enough of the dramatics, Eros," Valentine said. "You have been moping since last night." Eros only responded by pouting, folding his arms across his chest in a childish manor.

Jack decided to try talking with him. "Eros, Valentine told us you were having some…difficulties. Sally and I were hoping that we might be able to assist you. We are happy to help in any way we can."

"Oh yes," Sally added, coming up beside Jack. "He even told us you like to plan weddings. To be honest, Jack and I are still having trouble deciding on a few things. We were hoping to get your opinion?"

Psyche perked up, leaning against her husband's arm. "Oh Love, doesn't that sound nice?" she said, trying to look Eros in his eye. "You adore weddings. And for the leaders of Halloween Town no less. Just think of all the possibilities you could do."

"Psyche…" Eros patted his wife on the arm but did not return her smile. "Oh my sweet little wife, perhaps the man you knew could be singing praises for the chance at turning such a frightful place into a wedding befitting royalty… Alas, I fear that man is no more."

"What is it this time?" Valentine groaned.

Suddenly, Eros rose from his seat, grabbing a long golden bow. As he he pulled back on the string, an arrow made of radiant of light appeared. There was only a moment to behold its lavender light when Eros fired. The shot hit the center of the waterfall.

"What was that?" Sally asked, memorized by the bright lights.

"Oh, that's one of Eros's light arrows," Psyche whispered. "That's how he finds people on earth. He thinks of the person's name, then fires an arrow at the Looking Glass, and then that person can be seen so Eros can find them."

"Oh, how interesting."

"Not really. He just likes to show off. All he really had to do was toss a Memory Pearl into the Looking Glass like what with the couple at the bar."

"What's a memory pearl?" Sally asked.

Psyche quickly ran and plucked something from the water. When she returned, she held out an oyster. She then opened the shell to reveal a polished pink pearl inside. Sally awed at the pristine little gem. "This is a Memory Pearl," Psyche explained. "Each one is the memory of the people Valentine and Eros have brought together. After Eros shoots the people with one of his golden arrows, a pearl appears in the side pocket of his quiver. Eros then gives them to Valentine to store for later use."

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies," Jack said, pointing towards the Looking Glass, "but should the waterfall be doing that?"

They all turned to see the image of the young couple ripple and change. Now, instead of a bar, it showed a bedroom. The walls were painted a light orchid and the furniture was a Victorian styled vanity, dresser, and bed. Sunlight poured in from the open window onto the bed, where a young woman was lounging and reading a book. Jack recognized her the moment the light reflected the red highlights of her golden hair.

"That's Will!"

"What on earth…" Valentine looked closer. He frowned and glared over at his partner. "You're kidding me? _This_ is why you've been moping for the past day?!"

Eros huffed. "Well, what did you expect?" he asked, crossing his arms and turning to face away. "I find her the perfect match and she completely ruins it!"

Valentine sighed, another migraine coming on at his colleague's persistent whining. "That is not how it works, you damn idiot," he stated. "I told you before. _I_ place the matches and _you_ bring the couples together. I thought you would've learned that lesson after the Hades and Persephone incident."

"Excuse me, but those two are married, aren't they?" Eros argued.

"Yes but they only see one another four months out of the year!"

"He does have a point, Love," Psyche added. "Do I need to remind you how difficult it was for us to get married? Your mother nearly tried to kill me."

Eros opened his mouth to argue, but his eyes then widen before he closed it again, instead jutting out his lip and pouted. "But it should have been perfect!"

"Now darling, try not to be so upset," Psyche cooed. She walked up behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. "I know you meant well."

"Excuse me," Jack interrupted. He was completely perplexed by everything that was happening. "I am sorry but, I couldn't help wondering, what does Will have to do with all this?"

"I was wondering that myself?" Sally added, nervously wringing her hands together.

However, both Eros and Psyche were too distracted to hear the question. With a sigh, adjusting his glasses once more, Valentine stepped closer to Jack and Sally. "As I mentioned before, for sometime Eros has been choosing one person to be his special Valentine target, as he puts it."

Jack and Sally nodded.

"And you recall how Eros behaved around Miss Willa at the New Year's party you hosted, correct? How he seemed to take too much interest in how she would take to that young vampire, Puck."

"Oh yes, I remember that," Jack said grimly. "Puck is related to the Vampire Brothers, if I'm not mistaken. He really did bother Will a lot that night. His actions toward her were a bit…excessive."

Sally's eyes widened. "Oh dear… Will was very upset after the party but she wouldn't tell me what was bothering her. Then a few days ago the Vampire Brothers told me she had come to them very late at night to ask them questions about vampires, specifically their weaknesses. Then Helgamine and Zeldaborne told me Will even came by their shop and bought severe cloves of garlic."

"I guess Puck has been bothering Will back in her world," Jack said.

"Not surprised if that idiot was giving the boy advice…" Valentine muttered. "Well, despite my talks with him, I'm afraid Eros has been obsessed with matching your friend and the young vampire."

"HEY!"

The three of them looked up to see Eros looking at them.

"None of this would've happened if Willa had just cooperated in the first place," Eros shouted. "I go out of my way to make others happy, but what this girl did was just-just… It was unforgivable!"

"For crying out load," Valentine groaned. "Would you cut the dramatics and get to the point!"

"Very well." Eros reached into his left breast pocket and pulled out a pink pearl. "This is the Memory Pearl from last night. Everything you want to know is recorded in here."

Eros then threw the pearl at the Looking Glass. Once again, the waters rippled and the image changed to reveal the events of the previous day. Finally, everyone would learn the cause to all of Eros's desolation.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Now the fun begins. I would like to recommend to those who have not previously read _Cat-tastophe_ to check it out before reading any further. It gives a little insight to how this date came about.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Date Disaster—Part 1**

_February 14…_

_Everything is going exactly as planned_, Eros mused to himself. He had just finished pairing another couple on Valentine's list and was now admiring his handiwork. He adored watching as the couple before him fell into each other's arms. Another satisfied pair. He was pleased with himself!

"Well, with that out of the way, time to check in on my _special_ mission." Eros quickly flew off toward the city. He was just flying over the destined neighborhood when he spotted a tomato soup colored Isuzu Rodeo pulling into the driveway of an apartment. He smiled as he saw a familiar red ponytail and quickly flew down.

Slamming the car door, Al trudged up the stairs to the apartment. It had been another exhausting day. Everything that could have gone wrong had happened. Someone had double booked at least three birthday parties so Al had to play referee between the different groups. On top of that, she had been called in to open after another coworker did not show up when Al had already closed the night before. But despite the trials, it would all be worth it soon. It was Valentine's Day! Now, normally Al would cuddle up under a blanket with a tub of ice cream and a good romantic comedy, but this was one of the few times that she and Zack were not working on a major holiday. Zack had even promised that if their date went to hell, he would join her under a blanket and buy the ice cream. All she had to do was shower and put on something that would turn her boyfriend's head. She was just putting the key in the lock when she heard a commotion going on inside.

"Would you just drop it! It's NOT HAPPENING!"

_Either the rent is due or someone is trying to take Will's truck_, Al thought as she opened the door. Instead of being greeted like usual by her furry friends, Mogwai and Crepe were trembling together on the couch. Even Kat's new Great Alaskan Husky/German Shepard Mix puppy, Whiskey, had somehow crammed himself under the coffee table and was cowering like he had gotten in trouble for jumping on people again. Meanwhile, the ruckus Al heard seemed to be coming from the back of the apartment.

Al turned to Crepe and asked the feline, "What's happening, Kitten?"

Crepe looked up at her with her crossed eyes. _The yellow haired one is upset_, the cat replied, tucking closer to Mogwai. _There be something coming, Human._

_SLAM!_

Al looked up to see Will stomping toward her. Her hair was in a loose ponytail and she was wearing a graphic T-shirt and sweatpants. Her eyes were hard and her jaw was so tight Al thought she might be grinding her teeth. Without a word, Will plopped down on the couch and switched on the television.

_Who spit in her cereal?_ Al thought. _Maybe the rent really was due…_ She set her things down and began her normal greeting. "What up, sugar pop?" Al asked.

Will did not respond. She kept her eyes focused on the screen. Though it was clear by her expression that she was not actually paying attention to whatever show was on. Now Al was getting frustrated. She did not like being ignored, even when someone was mad, so she decided if Will was not going to talk then she was gonna make her talk. Al violently kicked the couch.

"I'm going to start speaking in third person if you don't start talking, Willa," she demanded, crossing her arms. "Al does not like being ignored!"

"Not in the mood, Alice," Will nearly barked. "It's been a bad day, so please, just leave me alone before someone does something she might regret."

"Willa has had a bad day?" Al asked, a slight scoff in her voice. "Al has had bad days too. And has Willa let Al have these bad days without talking? No way! So, Willa better start talking or Al will get hyped up on sugar and start doing what the kids at the bowling alley were doing with the cake, and Kat would then have to clean up the mess. And believe Al, you do NOT want to see how far a child can stick a piece of cake up their mother's nose."

Will growled, closing her eyes. "Al, next time I'll let you go off on a rant, but right now–"

"THERE you are!"

"Crap!" Will slumped back into the couch folding her arms. Kat entered the room. Like Will, she was wearing casual clothing, however, her long dark hair was pulled back into a bun, but she was not wearing glasses, which she usually did when the girls were relaxing at home. That meant Kat was getting ready to go out. Only Al noticed that Kat was about as steamed as Will, but before Al could ask what was wrong, Kat bumped her out of the way and stood in front of Will.

"Would you stop being so difficult!" she shouted.

"I'm being difficult?" Will retorted. "_I'm_ being difficult!" Her voice increased in volume and anger. "You're the one trying to force me into this. I told you, it's not what you think."

"Al's dirty mind has gone to a dark place involving marriage…" Al interrupted. "Al wants to know what is going on RIGHT BLOODY NOW!"

Kat turned around, finally noticing their other roommate. Taking a deep breath in, Kat closed her eyes to cool down. "I am _trying_ to get Will to stop being stubborn. But alas…" She turned back to Will still sulking on the couch. "… It is not going smoothly." Kat crossed her arms, annoyed with Will.

"About what? Al has just gotten home and her brain may or may not be turned off," Al said, quirking her lips.

Kat groaned. "I'm trying to get Will ready for her date tonight, but she's being more stubborn than the pets on Bath Day." Kat was very animated during this explanation. She had not been this agitated since her annual Mexican vacation was canceled last year.

"How many times do I have I told you. It's. Not. A. DATE!" Will shouted. She stood up and began walking away. "Honestly, I'd hardly call being forced to spend a night with a guy I can't stand a date."

Al blinked, raised her hands and walked toward the kitchen. "Al needs coffee. Let us pause for a refueling break." She wandered into the kitchen and made a small cup of coffee. She reentered the room, spinning a spoon in her coffee and taking a small sip. She noted that Kat had grabbed Will and was keeping a hold on her shoulder to make her remain in the room.

"Now, what is this about our Little Willa being on a date? Al has not met this boy, nor has he asked for Al's permission on this matter," she said, tapping her spoon and then licking it.

"Al, you're not my dad, so stop pulling a Joey Tribbiani," Will commented. She sighed and walked back over to her friends. "Look… Sorry for being a pain. I'm just really peeved right now. Kat, I know you're excited but this isn't a date. It's more a pity thing really. Besides, I was outnumbered and had no choice." Kat scoffed at her poor excuse.

"Is this the aftermath of the spin the bottle thing? If it is, I am suddenly very excited!" Al interjected while bring her hands together as if she had evil plan in mind.

"OKAY, hold up!" Kat uncrossed then raised her arms interjecting the conversation, pausing for a moment. "Spin the bottle? Is THAT how this all happened? HA!" She quickly covered her mouth. Will's jaw dropped a little, whether is was out of shock or embarrassment, Kat was unsure, but her friend's cheeks were starting to turn a light pink. The laugh just spat out of her mouth. "I sorry…" Kat said through a whispered laugh. "Spin the bottle? WHY?! Also, how did I not know this?"

"It happened on Movie Night last week," Will explained, closing her eyes as she recalled the incident. "You were out to dinner with your family and Al invited her boyfriend and his new buddy over. Only, Zack's buddy happened to be this guy I know who tried to make a pass at me. There was a power outage and we ended up playing Truth or Dare. Do to someone–" She glared specifically at Al. "–being a poor sport, I got suckered into going on a date with this guy."

"Oppies!" Al quickly said spreading, a tentative smile on her face.

Will rolled her eyes. "Point is, I'm only doing this because the alternative was Seven Minutes in Heaven," she explained. "I'm just hoping this fake date will suck and maybe be the push that will finally get the guy off my back once he sees I'm not interested. That's why I would prefer you and Al not making a big hoopla out of the matter, okay?"

"You're still going on a date, Will," Kat interrupted. "I don't care if it's because of a dare, or if it is a pity date. I'm letting you know right now that you are not leaving here looking like a bum. You need to at least try to look nice. Now, turn around and go in the bathroom. The flat iron has been on for thirty minutes and we do not need to set another fire in here." Kat moved her hand to Will's shoulder to make her turn around.

Will batted her away as though she were swatting flies. "Jeans and a T-shirt are fine."

"Sadly, I gotta side with the Kat on this one," Al said, crossing her arms. "I bet you hate Bat Boy's guts and would rather unalive him, but he did have specifics, which included date dress."

"Hahahaha!" Kat chuckled. "I'm sorry… This is just too funny. Specifics? Are you sure this isn't an arranged marriage that we are shipping you off too? I'm starting to get the impression that Al and I are going to get a goat in exchange for you, Will. Who is this guy anyway?" Will groaned as she was then dragged into the bathroom. The last thing Al heard was Kat reprimanding Will about finding some garlic oil in place of the perfume.

Outside the window, Eros gave a big sigh. "Why is that girl being so stubborn?" he wondered aloud. "This is her first date and on Valentine's Day no less. Her heart should be bursting with joy, not wallowing in dread. This calls for drastic measures!"

With a flap of his wings, Eros raced off to the other side of town. He flew until he landed at Zack's apartment complex. He then found Zack's door number, Apt. 10, and knocked on the door.

"Easy on the knocking! Some of us shower like normal people." When the door opened, Zack stood there soaking wet, wearing only a towel. It was only natural that he seemed surprised to find Eros standing at his door. "Oh… Hey Eros. What's hangin', man?" he asked, relaxing a bit.

"Afternoon Zackary. I realize my arrival is a tad inconvenient at the moment," Eros apologized, "but I was hoping to inquire you to the whereabout of one of your fellow tenants?"

"Who are you looking for?" Zack asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'm referring to the fellow you met at the Halloween Town New Year's party. Puck is his name."

"Puck? You mean that smooth criminal? Ha! I thought you were here for Gus. That man needs some loving," Zack said, leaning on the doorframe. "He's just three doors down. Not sure what he's been up to, but he's been making a racket all day. Good thing, I guess. Otherwise Al would've killed me for being late for our date."

"Ah! That reminds me…" Eros reached for a vial on his belt and handed it to Zack. "As I recall, your lovely Alice adores the fragrance of apples and roses. Use a drop or two tonight and she'll remain by your side the entire evening." He gave Zack a wink.

Zack took the vile and chuckled. "Thanks man. And hey, whatever you got planned for Puck, take it easy on him. He was all sorts of moving when he came home last."

"Moving?"

"Ya know, constantly in motion. I don't think that boy has slowed down doing whatever he is doing since he rolled in last night."

"I don't doubt that. I know very well what he has in store for his outing this evening," Eros added. "I'm just here to offer him a bit of advice to make sure things go as planned."

Suddenly, the two were joined by another young man. He was slightly taller than Eros but shorter than Zack, and like Zack, he wore little clothing. In fact, the man only wore a pair of pants, no shoes, and he was carrying an open button-down shirt in his left hand. What made him further stand out were the large black wings on his back.

"Hey Puck," Zack greeted. He noted his friend's his hair was a mess. "Did your comb go crazy?" he joked.

Puck just rolled his eyes. "Hey Zack, could you drive me to the auto shop?" he asked, slightly panicked as he struggled to slip the shirt over his wings. "The guy was supposed to have my car ready today."

"If you mean the one that keeps calling my number instead of yours, you just missed him," Zack reported. "Murray said he'd have to order a special part. Won't be ready till Monday. Sorry man."

"Damn! I really need my car tonight," he hissed. Then he looked to his friend. "Is there any chance I could borrow your truck?"

"Sadly no. Ol' Rusty is my ride tonight," Zack explained. "Why don't you just take your bike?"

Puck glared at him. "Because it would ruin the entire evening," he stated. "I'm trying to impress her, remember? How can I do that if I show up for our date on that thing? A lady can't ride on a bike if she's in a skirt and heels."

"Pardon me," Eros interrupted, "but perhaps I might make a suggestion?"

Puck finally took notice of the other member of the group. "Oh, I remember you," he said. "Cupid, from the New's Years party, right?" Suddenly, Puck got rather irritated. "Thanks a lot for your so-called advice! Because of you, Will hates me!"

"Whatever are you talking about?" Eros implied, hoping he could charm his way out of this.

"Am I missing something here?" Zack asked, getting a little confused by the conversation.

Puck just continued to glare. "This idiot gave me the brilliant idea that Will was attracted to me, and when I tried to court her, she rejected me."

"Now, now. Don't be so hasty, young prince," Eros interjected. "After all, I told you how to win the girl's heart. You were just a bit too hasty in the approach. I told you she had a type."

"Yeah, and it still backfired!" Puck shouted.

"No need to yell. I assure you that tonight will change everything."

"Oh yeah, how?" Puck asked.

"Simple…" Eros explained. "After all, I am the Master of Romance! I know the way to win any woman's heart. All you have to do to is exactly what I tell you…"

**XXX**

As the hour drew closer to seven, Al and Kat were both getting ready to go out. Unlike Al, Kat knew exactly how her date would pan out. She was going out with a guy one of her coworkers knew. A friend of a friend, you could say. They had been flirting for weeks. His name was Val and he was a professional dancer. He was originally from the Ukraine, but had lived in the United States for years. His accent was just subtle enough to make Kat weak in the knees. So, she made sure to dress extra special tonight. Kat had gotten dressed in light wash blue straight leg jeans, a plain white T-shirt paired with peach colored scarf. In a chair by the door lay her tan jacket with a cross body zipper and ballet flats the same color as her scarf. Kat had her hair colored the day before and now had a dark brown, almost black shade with deep burgundy pieces mixed between the layers of her hair. It was wavy and styled to perfection while her makeup was a simple brown smoky-eye with cat-eye eyeliner and a mauve lipstick, complimenting her brown eyes and bronze skin.

Likewise, Al had picked out a short strapless red satin dress with a black lace overlay. Attached at the natural waist was a black and red satin high-low skirt and a vivid red rose accent. She wore little makeup, enough to highlight her features as Zack preferred the natural look. Now, she paced with six-inch black satin heels. As always, she was ready extremely early and was now starting to panic. Zack had been very cryptic in his explanation of their date and, while Al liked surprises, she wondered if she was over or underdressed for their location where they would be spending a romantic evening.

"Where is that boy in his Rust Bucket truck? He should know I get ready stupid early," Al complained, watching the window for Zack. She sat on the couch and began bouncing her leg, forcing Crepe to move to find another place to nap.

"Calm down, he is never late and you are always ready WAY too early," Kat said, clearly annoyed. Al quickly snapped her head to glare at her as Kat was looking at her phone. "Val is on his way. Now, where is Will?"

"Right here." Both girl's turned to find Will standing in the hallway. Kat had been unsuccessful in finding a dress—Will had conveniently stored all of her dresses and skirts secretly in the attic of Skellington Manor—and neither the dresses or skirts Al and Kat owned would fit her, but that had not stopped Kat. She still managed to change Will into a pair of black stonewashed jeans, a black peasant top with a deep midnight tank top underneath, and a pair of fashionable black boots. Kat had also managed to do her hair and makeup without a flaw. Will's hair was now straight which flattered her face and a simple light dusting of foundations, a warm cream color for eye shadow, a bit of eye liner in the corners of her eye, mascara, and red lipstick to tie it all together. She looked beautiful.

However, the expression on Will's face was more like she was about to have a dental work without any Novocain.

Kat frowned. "Would you stop acting like this is the worst thing in the world," she said. "You look more unhappy than when Al and I made you get a pedicure."

"Hey! I prefer doing that to this," Will stated, holding her hand up to stop Kat from suggesting something. "Never again, Katerina! Much as I hate the idea of going out with Puck, I NEVER want to do that again. It was like they were using sandpaper to scrape off my skin, and don't even get me started on that weird goop that nearly burned off my feet…"

"How would I know you would be the Grumpy Cat of pedicures? It's not normal, Will. Not normal…" Kat sounded defensive. She was only trying to help, even though Will was being difficult. She did like a challenge though.

Will rolled her eyes. "Look, this just isn't how I pictured my first date, okay? To be honest, I really thought I'd either find a guy I liked—and I'm emphasizing _like_ here—or you would try setting me up on another blind date with some guy you met at work."

"You could always create an account on Tinder? HAHA!"

"He's here!" Al cheered, cutting Kat off. She sprung up from the couch and rushed to the door as Zack's rusty black truck pulled up to the curb. Al watched him from the open door.

Once the truck came to a standstill and the engine died, Zack stepped out. He had donned a three piece black tuxedo with a black bow-tie. A small rose bloom rested in the lapel of his coat. He had ruffled his hair before combing it into a tamable looking hair style. But, despite his elegant appearance, he finished the look of with black Converse One-Star high-top sneakers.

Al stepped onto the porch as he walked up the sidewalk. "Hey Loveling," he said with a smile.

"Hey-ya handsome." She smiled breathlessly. "Ready to go?"

"I've been looking forward to this all day," Zack said, taking her hand and kissing the knuckles.

"Crepe, come back here!" Will yelled as Al's cat crept out the front door with Al's purse clenched in her mouth.

"What a good kitty!" Al smiled, taking the purse from Crepe and patting her head before the skittish cat scampered into the apartment.

"Come on!" Zack said, hoisting Al onto his shoulder fireman style and heading to his truck.

Al gave a small yelp before laughing. "Don't wait up you guys!" she called to her friends as Zack carried her off into the night.

"And then there were two…" Will sighed and closed the door. She stepped back inside and flopped down on the couch. "So, when's your date showing up again?" she asked Kat.

"Val is going to be here soon," she replied. A smitten smile pulled at her painted lips as she sank into the couch cushions. "He's going to take me to this place by the water. It's not fancy or anything, but it has a nice view of the ocean, and the dining area is under an open gazebo with beach trees that have those twinkly lights wrapped around them… I'm nervous though."

"Well, least one of us is sort of excited," Will said. The sound of another car engine filled her ears. "And now it seems you're next to go out. Remind me what's so hot about this Val guy again?"

"I don't know…" Kat said calmly, trying to reflect on why she did really like her date. "To be honest Will, I didn't like him at first. I thought he was a prude know-it-all with rich parents who acts like a player. Marcie was the one who begged me to go out with him, and I was miserable the entire time. It was almost like he knew how uncomfortable I was and that fueled his inner jerk. He was so smug…"

She paused to control herself. "What was I saying again? Oh yes, Val. At the end of the first date he took me to the hill in Seattle where you can see the entire city. He told me that when he was younger his brother would take him and his siblings there when their parents would get in bad fights. And then he told me about how his Dad would treat him and his youngest brother. After that I looked at him differently. He's a good guy, Will."

Suddenly, the door bell rang. "I got it!" Kat began to walk toward the door.

"RUFF RUFF!" The loud bark made Crepe jump from the couch to hide in the empty fire place. There was a scrapping sound of nails and feet trying to get traction on the hardwood floor as Kat's ten month old pup raced into the room. Whiskey barked somewhat aggressively at the door. Kat quickly put her shoes on, grabbed her coat and purse, then got ahold of Whiskey's collar before she opened the door. Even though Kat was strong, Will still cringed watching Whiskey rear up on his hind legs and pawing the air at who she assumed was Val—Will and Al had not formally met him yet.

The man at the door stepped back with his hand up as if being approached by police. From Will's perspective, the guy was cute. Muscular like a model and at least six feet tall, but he looked like he had just stepped out of _Night at the Roxbury_. Green eyes wide and an obvious worried look on his face, Kattrina tried to assure him Whiskey would not hurt a flea. Which was true because last week he and a fly got into it, and Whiskey have wiped out an entire bookshelf as he was trying to run away from the damn thing.

Seeing she had the dog under control, Val took a tentative step inside the apartment. He could not take his eyes off her. "Wow! Y-You… You look great. R-Ready to go, babe?" Val asked tentatively.

"Yeah, just let me put him back in the house. Come on in." Kat led Whiskey to the back and made him go in his crate. When she reentered the living room, Val and Will were awkwardly smiling and nodding at each other.

Kat smiled and made quick introductions. "Will, this is Val. Val, Will." Will and Val smiled at each other.

"Hi."

"Hey…"

The silence in the room was enough to hear Whiskey whining from the back room. Somehow it was even more awkward than before when everyone didn't know each other.

"Ready to go, Val?" Kat asked quickly, wanting to break the tension.

"Yeah," he replied. They both turned toward the door when Will let out a sigh that caught Kat's attention. _A sigh of boredom?_ she thought. _How? She just met the guy! Or was it a sigh of relief that Whiskey didn't kill anyone today? Probably…_ Val gently hovered his hand over the small of Kat's back.

"We should probably go," Val whispered in Kat's ear. "The reservations are at eight and it'll be an hour before we get there." He started leading her out the door. They were halfway to Val's car when Will stepped outside. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest as she watched them.

"Hey, I get enough PDA from Al and Zack," Will called out. "Just be sure to behave, you two."

Kat quickly turned around and shouted sharply, "WILL!"

A small smile creeped onto Val's face as he looked at Kat. His hand began to inch a bit lower.

"Stop…" Kat warned. She swatted his arm, making Val laugh. He removed his hand to unlock his car, opened the passenger door and held his hand out to Kattrina to get in. Before she did, Kat turned back toward the apartment.

"I don't need to stay to make sure you go on this date, do I?" she yelled, a slightly teasing tone in her voice. She grinned wickedly at the blush burning through Will's foundation.

"Haha, real cute! I give the creep fifteen minutes. If he doesn't show, then our deal is off. When that happens, I'm gonna get some popcorn and curl up with my new book."

"Oh, he will so be here!" Kat said confidently. Will just rolled her eyes and retreated back into the house, leaving Kat to mutter curses under her breath.

Seeing his date was stressed, Val placed both hands on her shoulders and gently massaged them. He was about to ask Kat if she wanted to wait a little longer when the sound of a loud engine caused him to look down the road. "Oh, is this the guy?" he asked, removing one hand and pointing over his shoulder.

They both turned just as a 2014 Harley-Davidson Street 750 pulled into the driveway. The rider wore a wine CL-MAX II Modular helmet with tinted visor, black jacket, black denim pants and charcoal leather boots. When the engine turned off, the rider removed his full-face helmet to reveal a tanned young man in his twenties. He walked over toward Kat and Val. His helmet tucked under one arm, he bowed halfway at the waist.

"Good evening," he greeted. "You must be the famous Kat I've heard so much about. Willa and Alice mention you often." He took her hand in his and kissed the back. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Umm…" Kat said unimpressed. Val tried to prevent himself from laughing but was unsuccessful. The guy looked ridiculous. Who wore leather anymore? Val held a fist up to his mouth, biting one of his knuckles.

"Shh!" Kat shushed, trying to quiet him down.

"Pardon me, I guess I got carried away. My name is Puck," he introduced himself, "and I am here to call on Willa tonight. Perhaps you could let me know if she is ready?"

"Umm… Okay. Well, Puck is it?" Kat said with a sly smile. "She's in the house. Just ring the doorbell…"

"But what about your do–" Val started to say but was cut off by the motion of Kat's hand telling him to be silent. They watched as Puck walked up to the house before they both getting in the car and heading out.

Meanwhile, Puck was trying to be as confident as he looked. When he got to the door, he paused before knocking. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Oh, I don't know about this…"

"What's the issue, young prince?" Puck turned around to find Eros fluttering behind him. "Honestly, I go through the trouble of coaching you for this date, and you're backing out now?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Puck rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, it's just this doesn't seem to be the right approach," he said. "I've been going about the way you said, but it just makes her hate me more."

"My young prince, she doesn't hate you. She simply doesn't realize yet what a catch you are," Eros explained. He then patted the young man's shoulder. "I promise, after tonight, you and Willa will be together. Isn't that what you want?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then what are you waiting for?" In his excitement, Eros rang the doorbell and quickly disappeared, leaving Puck to stand alone.

_Damn that Eros!_ Puck thought bitterly. He had half a mind to chase after him, until the door opened. His eyes fell on Will and the breath caught in his throat. She had removed a majority of the eyeliner and wiped off the red lipstick for some subtle light-purple lip gloss. She was just about to change out of the clothes Kat and Al selected when the doorbell rang. Will now looked at Puck with disdain.

"Wow… Y-You look…quite fetching, Willa," Puck tried to say, his voice raising a little as he remained ignorant of the cold glare being directed at him.

Will just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Can we just get this over with."

"Oh, yes, but I'm afraid we have a slight problem," Puck said. "You see, my car needed repairs which left us without transportation."

"So this mean the date's off!" Will exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. "Oh well, too bad. Have a nice night!" She tried closing the door but Puck put his foot in the doorframe.

"I never said this evening's outing was canceled, my flustered little bat," Puck countered, a crooked smile crossing his lips. "It just means we will be requiring another mode of transportation."

"Okay…"

"The car rental office is not too far from here," Puck explained. "I'll lend you my helmet and drive us down there."

"Not a chance, pal," Will retorted. "Much as I'd love to see you arrested, I prefer not having you getting a ticket on my conscience. Besides, you already have wheels so I don't see what you're complaining about."

"I am afraid I do not understand. Whatever are you inquiring about?" Will pointed to the helmet in Puck's hand. His eyes widened in shock. "Absolutely not!" he protested.

"Why not? Seems pointless to whine about a car when you have a bike," Will rationalized. "Besides, they get better gas and make parking easier."

"But, my dear, my plans for this evening require quite a distance to travel," Puck quickly countered, "and I only have one helmet for you to wear."

"Like I would wear your helmet. I have my own," Will said. "It's in my room."

"You have a motorcycle helmet? I didn't know you rode."

"My dad rides a motorbike, though I'm studying to get my motorcycle license this summer,"

She opened the door wider. "It'll take me a minute to change. Just wait in the living room while I grab my gear, then we can go. And stay put!" she warned, watching as Puck stepped inside the apartment. "I can hear you, so don't even think about trying to check on me, got it!"

"Humph. Give me some credit, Willa. I would never dream of intruding upon a lady's boudoir."

Will just rolled her eyes and disappeared into the back. Left alone, Puck nervously went over the plans in his head. Talking with Eros had really helped. Okay, his original plan was less eccentric and the angel's advice had not worked out so well before, but looking over it, there was no way things would not go well. He was confident that by the end of the night, Will would fall in love with him. And if he struggled, Eros promised to help him out. Who better to help with a Valentines date than the deity of love?

"Ruff! Ruff, ruff!"

"Whiskey, get back here!"

Hearing Will call out, Puck started to make his way toward the back when a large furry object ran towards him. "WHOA!" he cried as he was crushed under one hundred pound pounds of fur and slobber. "Mary, Mother of God! What is that thing?!"

Will ran back into the living room and grabbed the dog by its collar. "Whiskey slipped out when I went to give him fresh water. Kat forgot again." She dragged him to the back, though Puck missed the silent smirk on the girl's face. "Good boy, Whisk," she whispered. "I'll have a special bone biscuit for you. Though next time, try to knock him back outside and down the steps."

She put the dog back in his crate, then checked on the other pets before reentering the living room. She noticed the while Puck had straightened himself out, he was still slightly frazzled. "You okay there, tuff guy?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Haha, very funny. I would like to see you remain calm with that mongrel pouncing all over you!"

"Lets just go, Mr. Macho," Will groaned. She pushed Puck out the door and they both suited up in their motorcycle gear.

From his hiding spot under the porch, Eros practically giggled with glee. He could not believe his own brilliance. It was also rather fortunate the young man's car had been troubled. He normally did not approve of a motorcycle for a first date, but that girl needed a push. Now all he had to do was make sure this date went perfectly.

After all, how hard could it be?


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Sorry about cutting the last chapter short, but things were getting long. Now we get into a bit more mischief.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Date Disaster—Part 2**

Eros was about ready to pull his hair out. They had been at the restaurant not even ten minutes and everything was already falling apart.

First of all, the ride to the place had been a complete fluke. From what he overheard of the conversation, Will knew how to grip onto the back of the motorcycle so she would not need to hold onto the rider. Eros tried not to let it bother him too much. Then on the ride over, the conversation was seriously lacking in the romance department. In fact, they barely talked! Anytime Puck tried to start up a conversation, Will only gave a short reply. Then when they arrived at the restaurant, the only time Will even touched Puck was to push off his shoulders to get off the bike. Then they removed their gear, packed it away, and headed inside with about a foot of distance between them.

_How can such a kind girl be so stubborn?!_ Eros thought. He took another long drink from his Chocolate Stout to calm himself. He was sitting down at the bar watching his young couple. Regrettably, he had to change to enter the restaurant and was now wearing a white suit with red dress shirt and a black and red striped tie. He felt like Valentine, but it was a worthy sacrifice if it would help bring two souls together. If only the task were going as planned.

Once the waiter had settled them at a table, they barely said a word to one another. Puck tried to win her over with a few polite compliments. Will only responded with a mumbled "whatever" and kept her eyes focused on her menu. Past the point of aggravation with the progress, Eros was about ready to bypass all Valentine's warnings and pull out one of his golden love arrows. However, he was not about to let this stop him. After all, he had made reservations for Puck and Will at a new restaurant in town. The theme of the place was specifically designed for young couples and singles alike. The menu was of the most exquisite cuisine and, much to Eros's delight, there was live music so couples could enjoy at their tables or on the dance floor. One way or another, Eros was definitely going to make sure those two danced to something romantic and slow.

Meanwhile, there was still an ongoing awkward silence at the table of the "loving couple." Will was gazing lazily at the menu while Puck was hiding behind his own to come up with _something_ to say. Luckily, the waiter came to his rescue.

"How are we doing tonight, folks?" the young man asked. "I'm Jonesy, your waiter for the evening."

"Just fine," Will replied. She looked up from her menu and gave the guy a pleasant smile. "I've never been to this place before. It's new, right?"

"Oh yes, _La Dulce Vida_ has been here for almost two weeks now," Jonesy replied, "and we are working on branching a chain of restaurants. Now then, can I start you off with any drinks? Perhaps some of our finest wine? I would highly recommend the Swanson 2011 Alexis Cabernet Sauvignon, or perhaps a Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2013 Sauternes."

"Do you have any 2010 Bodegas Mauro Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León?" Puck asked.

"Nice try," Will stated. "He's doing the driving tonight and I'm two years under the drinking limit. What do you have in the nonalcoholic department?"

"Oh, we provide a variety of beverages for our younger patrons," Jonesy replied, pointing to the drink menu.

"I'll have a Nojito." Puck turned to look at Will. "See anything you like, my little bat?"

"I'm gonna try the…13th Peach Fruit," Will said, ignoring Puck and turning her attention back to the menu.

"Perfect!" Jonesy replied, writing down the orders. "Would you like a few more minutes to decide, or are you ready to order?"

"What would you recommend?" Puck asked, looking up from the menu. "I noticed you serve melon, _jamón_, and mozzarella skewers, and you have rack of lamb with herbs de provence and roasted tomatoes. Is that any good?"

"Oh, excellent choice, sir. The Romantic's Delight is one of our more popular dishes for couples."

Will cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but we–" She pointed between herself and Puck. "–are **NOT** a couple. I can order for myself." Will looked back at the menu once before handing it to the waiter. "I'll have the shrimp linguini with _extra_ garlic, and a small Caesar salad on the side," she stated, folding her hands and smirking at Puck before asking smugly, "And what will you be having?"

Puck blinked. He really had not planned for this. Eros had told him to let Will order her own food, though he never said anything about making a suggestion. He had done almost everything Eros had said, and they were things he would have done anyway. Picking Will up at her house and knocking on the door, then waiting for her to grab her keys and lock up the apartment; complimenting her each chance he got, and holding open doors. He was trying his best, but the fact she had just ordered garlic in her meal, a common vampire repellent; it was clear Will had no interest.

Puck just handed his menu to the waiter. "Filet mignon, cooked rare, with mushrooms in a wine sauce. And please, make sure there's no garlic."

"I can assure you, sir, we don't use garlic for this particular dish," Jonesy insisted, smiling pleasantly.

"I'd listen to him, if I were you. He's highly allergic," Will said with a cruel giggle. "The hives make his skin turn red, and then his throat and tongue swell up like a balloon before the itching and burning, followed by projectile vomiting."

Puck felt his eyes widen and a soft tint of pink warmed his cheeks. "H-How did you know about that?"

"After you tricked me with that dare, I stopped by your dear old uncles' house for a little help," Will replied. "I wanted to know if the garlic thing was real, and by telling me about your reaction to it, they started going on and on about their favorite nephew. By the way, did you really think you could get away with a mullet perm while dressing like Hollywood from _Mannequin_? Though the dangly earrings were a nice touch!"

Suddenly, the light pink color on Puck's cheeks bloomed into a full, bright red facial flush. Will just laughed as Puck sunk into his chair.

"Okay… Well, I'll be back in a few with those drinks," Jonesy replied nervously. He could feel the awkward tension at the table. All he knew was that he had to get out of there fast.

Back at the table, things had fallen back into silence. The only sound was the subtle conversations going on around them and the soft music the band played. Time passed by—though rather slowly in Will's opinion, as she counted the hours until she was free—and eventually the waiter brought them their drinks and Will's salad. The whole time they were silent. Puck did try to start a conversation, but each time he opened his mouth, he quickly shut it.

"Excuse me," Will said after a few more minutes passed. She pushed her empty plate aside for the waiter, and then got up from her seat. She started walking away when Puck stood up, blocking her path.

"Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously. "The agreement was you remain by my side the entire evening."

Will rolled her eyes. "Chill out Mr. Possessive," she said dryly. "I'm just going to the lady's room. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Uh…"

With no actual reply, Will slipped away while Puck sulked, head down, at the table. Eros watched in total shock. There were less complications in a teenage romances, the epitome of drama relationships. It looked like his young buck was going to need more coaching than he thought. Eros was about to walk over when someone else beat him to it.

"I thought that was you!"

Puck looked up and was shocked to see two of his friends walking up to his table. "Zack, Al. What are you doing here?" he asked them.

"Well, it's Valentine's day. This is the most romantic place I could think of to take my girl," Zack replied, clapping Puck on the hand.

Al smiled. "We had a little trouble with Ol' Rusty stalling so we nearly missed our reservation," she said, looking around. "Don't mean to sound awkward, but where is my Little Willy?"

"She's run to freshen up," Puck replied.

"Ooo! I'll be right back!" Al quickly ran off toward the restrooms.

"Well, it would appear both our dates have run off on us," Puck sighed. He turned back to Zack. "Oh man, I'm completely botching everything, Zack!" Puck slammed his head down on the table in defeat.

Zack furrowed his eyebrows before taking Will's vacated seat. "Wanna talk about it, brother?" he asked, folding his hands. "Not that I'll be much help when it comes to understanding how any girls', let alone Will's or Al's, minds work but, sometimes, I stumble onto some insight."

Puck just groaned. "I've tried doing everything by the book, but nothing I do works," he explained. "I've opened doors, tried giving her compliments, and I tried to impress her with my knowledge of culinary cuisine. And still, she acts like I've taken her hostage or something."

Zack chuckled softly. "There's ya problem," he said, leaning back.

"How so?"

"You aren't being yourself," Zack explained. "Look, if the gentleman thing is you, then there isn't much you can do. Now, I'm not saying be a jerk to her but be yourself. If she's into you, then she's into you. If she isn't, she just won't be and there's nothing you can do about it."

"That's not the point," Puck moaned, finally meeting his friend's eye. "When I'm around her, all I can think about is not messing up and looking like a total idiot in front of her. When Cupid hit me with that arrow, I'll admit I went overboard. That's why I needed everything to go well tonight! I wanted a clean slate so Will could see the real me. But nothing is going right."

"It can't be that bad, man," Zack encouraged. Clearly his friend was just exaggerating and letting his nerves get to him.

Puck gave him a deadpan glare. "She talked to my uncles, Zack," he nearly yelled. "I love them but darn it, if they don't blather every embarrassing mount you never want told. As if that wasn't bad enough, they told her how garlic affects me AND showed her pictures from my college days! She saw the merm. The MERM! There's no coming back from that!"

Zack stared in disbelief. "Bro, you had a merm? And you didn't burn all evidence of it? Are you insane?!" Zack rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You may be plum outta luck, Puck."

"See what I mean! I'm royally screwed." Puck slammed his head against the table again.

"Oh, this has gone on long enough…" Eros muttered. He got up from his seat and marched over to Puck and Zack. He caught Zack's attention but his focus was on Puck. "You lazy little lump, why are you giving up so fast?!"

"Go away…" Puck moaned.

Eros huffed. "Are you really going to sit there and pout without putting up a fight?"

"Um... who are you?" Zack asked, pointing at Eros.

Eros rolled his eyes. "Really Zackary, your attention span is lacking exponentially," he commented. "I realize my change of dress is drastically different from my traditional attire, but you honestly cannot recognize me in a suit jacket and pants? I just visited you hours ago, and gave you that cologne of Al's favorite scent!"

Zack blinked. "Oh yeah!" He snapped his fingers. "Sorry bro, I lost my memory when I heard my man Puck was seen by his potential lady with a merm. Hey, that cologne works like a charm by the way."

"Naturally, I do know what I'm doing when it comes to relationships."

"You're certainly doing a crappy job helping me out," Puck added, head still pressed to the table.

"In any case…" Eros continued, "We don't have much time to debate. The girls will be arriving back here shortly, so we must use this opportunity to make Puck presentable. It won't be easy given the circumstances, but perhaps we might be able to work something out."

Zack cracked his neck. "What's the plan, Winged Man? Because I think that Puck here should be himself. Will is the type to see through any facade pretty dang quick."

"Hmm… We could, uh…" Eros retained the posture of one in thought, however, he was deathly silent.

Zack frowned, his eyes narrowing in on the angel. "You got nothin' other than what I've been sayin', have ya?"

"Well…"

"Zack, get your fine butt out of Will's seat!" Al's loud call announced the arrival of the girls.

All three men turned as Al practically raced back to the table. She was dragging Will by the arm and in her other hand, she was holding some kind of object. Al stopped running once she reached the table, but she refused to release her best friend.

"Okay Al, that's enough," Will protested. She tried pulling her arm free, but it only made Al tighten her grip. "Argh! Why don't you just put a bridle on me. You're squeezing my arm off."

"I would love to use a bridle, but I don't think Cesario would appreciate tasting your spit," Al said with a cheeky grin. "Besides, you should know better than to skip out on a date, even if it's going down the toilet. Trying to use your door key, for shame!"

Will finally wrenched her arm free, rubbing the sore area. "I was not trying to dine and dash, Al!" she argued. "I told you, the water from the faucet splashed my collar and I was drying my key so it wouldn't rust."

"Yeah sure. I totally believe you, girlie girl," Al said crossing her arms and giving her a sarcastic look.

"I believe that answer as much as the time you blamed Crepe for eating all my cookies for the church bake sale, and you still had crumbs and chocolate all over your face," Will retorted. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, only for her gaze to fall on Eros. "Ugh, you again? Can't you just leave me alone!"

"I was just checking in on my favorite couple. For your information, sweet lady, this is my holiday and I happen to have business to attend to at the other end of the room," Eros huffed and began walking away. "Adieu, my little lovebirds!"

"That smug jerk…" Will muttered under her breath. She waited for Zack to move before taking her seat. "So, do we need to ask the waiter for an extra set of chairs? I have a feeling Al wants to make sure I don't try to accidentally-on-purpose have the waiter spill water on me, and end this torture by needing another pair of clothes."

"I don't think ya need another pair good lookin'. Besides, I always knew you'd be a star at a wet T-shirt contest," Zack teased, throwing a wink at Will.

"Real cute, Zackary, but remember I have a knife." She threw him a wicked grin. "So keep those roaming hands to yourself, or Al will need to find a new back massager."

Zack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Can't blame a guy for trying, Love," he joked, though he did cast a nervous glance at Will's silverware.

"Since when did our flirting game include giving our players pet names?" Al asked, crossing her arms and glaring slightly at him.

"Since you started flirting with that waiter the moment we got here, Alley my love," Zack replied, crossing his arms in response before a tense moment passed which ended with a tiny peck on the lips between the strange couple.

Al was looking around when suddenly her eyes went wide and she jumped. "Well, this was fun, but we gotta bounce," she said quickly, turning to pull on Zack's arm. "Let's leave these kids some alone time."

"But babe, our table?" Zack protested. He eyed his girlfriend suspiciously as she continued trying to drag him toward the exit.

"Zack, we gotta go, like now. I may or may not have started a flood in the ladies room," Al said with a cheeky grin.

"But Alley Love, we just got here and the reservations were near impossible to get at such short notice–" Zack began to say when a loud, irritated scream was heard.

"WHAT'S WITH ALL THIS WATER?!"

"Time to go. Come on, sugar lumps!" Al said. She grabbed ahold of her boyfriend's hand and sprinted to the door. As she fled, Al began waving about Will's key, which she had tucked firmly in her hand, and called out, "This comes with me, so Will, behave yourself!"

Will and Puck just watched as two of the staff fumbled to catch up to their friends. "Well, that was…interesting," Puck commented.

"Yeah, only Al could cause a scene like that," Will said. Things were quiet for a moment before she added, "I really wasn't trying to ditch you."

"We did have a bargain," he reminded her. "Though the fact remains you did have your key and your friend spotted you with it in hand. It does make the whole thing a tad suspicious."

"Okay, first of all, that key happens to be a portal to anywhere in the world, or worlds as the case may be. It's not exactly something you leave lying around where anyone can get their hands on it." She smiled but then she let out a small sigh. "Look, I know I'm not being the best of company, but can you really blame me? Being tricked into going on a date is not the best way to impress a girl."

"You didn't have to accept," Puck reminded her. "You could have said no."

"You didn't really give me the option," she added, pointing at him. "You were the one who said I had to either be stuck on a date with you or be forced into kissing you. Both sucked, but at least I can have a say here than a dark closet. You do the math."

Puck did not have a response for that. They both went back into a silence until the waiter brought out their food. Puck winced from the potency of Will's dish. He had to reach for his napkin and cover his nose as the garlic stung his sensitive sense of smell. They went halfway through the meal when Puck finally broke the silence.

"You're right, I've been an idiot," he said, not looking up from his plate. He waited for Will to say something, but when no response came, he continued. "Ever since the New Years party, I've been acting like a total louse. I thought the only way I could impress you was acting like the kind of guy you would respond to. Eros told me you had a type, so I…"

"Wait a minute!" Will held up her hands and waited for Puck to let her talk. "You talked to Eros? About what my type is?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Dude, are you really that dense?" she asked, looking at him incredulously. "If you want a girl to like you then you need to be honest with her. Don't go asking someone else what to do, especially a bonehead like Eros. You know, I actually liked you until you starting acting like a total jerk."

"But Eros told me you liked bad boys with an underlying kindheartedness and you also liked the romantic, princely type," Puck countered. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he recalled her words. "Did you just say you _liked_ me?"

"You big idiot…" she muttered, "of course I liked you. When we first met. Granted, I thought you were a bat, but you were actually sweet. I even thought you were kinda cute. And then when you agreed to help me stop Oogie Boogie, and you even got all your bat friends to help, I was really amazed that you would help a total stranger, especially twice in one day."

"But when you woke up after the battle, you wanted nothing to do with me."

"Duh! That's because I just woke up from a near-death experience, and you were hitting on me. Not to mention you were acting like girls should swoon at your feet when doing it."

Puck chuckled a bit. "I guess my timing was a bit off…" he admitted. "In my defense, I was under the spell of a love arrow."

"And what's your excuse for New Years Eve?" Will retorted, crossing her arms. "I distinctly remember you saying the arrow had warn off, yet you still kissed me."

"Again, another poor judgement on my part," Puck admitted. "That was when I found Eros. He told me to be spontaneous, and after telling me you are interested in a rebel, I thought I was being someone you would like. Each time you told me that you didn't feel that way, I thought you were being coy. I guess… I suppose that was another fault on my part."

Will did not know what to say. For the first time since the incident, she was starting to believe Puck was being honest with her. Really, truly honest. It was surprising. Seeing the distraught look on his face, Will reached her hand across the table and placed it over his. He was startled by the action, and looked to her for an explanation.

She smiled. "Puck… How about a truce?" Will suggested. "We spend the rest of the evening together, but this time, no acting like someone else. I would prefer to be the Puck and Will that met in the Hinterlands, and not the disgruntled girl about ready to stake the whoreson vampire. Deal?"

Will held out her hand toward Puck. He looked at it, and then at her. She was really willing to give him another chance. His heartbeat quivered at the thought. Yes, he wanted another chance. He was not going to follow anymore advice other than the one he knew he should have done from the beginning. He was going to be himself.

Puck gently took Will's smaller hand in his own. "We have a deal."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: It Keeps Getting Worse**

_Valentine Town…_

The image of Puck and Will shaking hands froze. Eros reached into his pocket and pulled out a silk handkerchief. He blew his nose, trying not to become too emotional again. "Oh, I can feel the love in this arrangement as though it were but yesterday," he sighed, drying his eyes.

"It was yesterday, you dolt…" Valentine grumbled. "I don't see how any of this is relevant to the situation."

"Oh Vally, are you sure you're wearing the right glasses." Eros pouted, pointing at the screen. "How can you not see it! There, in their eyes! The blossoming of a romance unlike any other!" Suddenly, Eros grabbed another tissue as tears streamed down his chiseled cheeks. "Oh, how could such a beautiful and vibrant affair be cut down before its prime! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"

"Come down, Love," Psyche crooned, rubbing her husband's back. "We all know you're upset, but we're just a little confused. What does Will and Puck's date have to do with why you're so discomposed?"

"Haven't you figured it out already?" Eros whined.

"I apologize, Eros, but we haven't," Jack spoke up. Admittedly, he had felt rather guilty for watching one of his friends in such an intimate setting. It felt a lot like they were intruding. However, this was part of Eros and Valentine's job.

Eros bowed his head with a big dramatic sigh. "Very well… I suppose you'll just have to keep watching," he said, "but the build up to the final climax just breaks you."

"Skip to that part then," Valentine hissed, already trying to keep from throttling his partner. "I'd like to be finished before the next century"

Eros jumped and with a wave of his hand, the image changed to show a moonlight sky and two youths walking along a sandy shore.

**XXX**

_The waterfront…_

Puck and Will were walking along the beach, not too close to the water but just enough. Things had been going well since their talk at the restaurant and due to their agreement, the evening had been much more pleasant. They talked about some of their interests and found they had a few things in common. Will only excused herself one more time, but her absence was brief to rinse her mouth. She had felt guilty about ordering extra garlic—partly because the aroma was affecting her sensitive nose as well. When they finished, Puck had tried to pay for the whole meal, but Will beat him by asking the waiter for separate checks before returning to the table.

After dinner, Puck and Will rode downtown. Puck had a special surprise waiting, but it had been put on hold as Will dragged him toward an ice cream vendor. After the cold treat, Puck led her off to his surprise: a horse-drawn carriage ride through the park. Will laughed and noted it was a bit cliché, but the thought was still sweet. They talked more and halfway through Will asked the coachman to let them out. They were close to the beach and Will wanted to walk long the shoreline. Puck was happy to oblige though he was rather curious when Will took off her shoes as they reached the beach. For some reason, she insisted on walking barefoot through the sand.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Puck asked, watching his date with a curious eye. "You're not too cold or anything?"

"You got a problem with bare feet?" she replied, giving him a teasing smile.

"N-No no, not at all. I was just wondering why do it at night?"

Will paused in their walk to dig her toes deeper into the sand. "Eh, just felt like it. It feels great and saves me from being dragged off to the nail salon."

"As long as you're happy…" Puck smiled back. So far, things had gone much better between the two of them. It almost felt like he was guiding her through the Hinterlands again. Just talking and not having Will completely hate him. If things kept going at this rate, then there was a chance he could change her mind about dating him.

He had to make a move.

While Puck was thinking, Will had moved toward to the water's edge. The waves lapped against the sand, and she was slowly inching her way closer. When she finally got close enough she squeaked at the coldness, laughing as she continued to splash about.

Hearing her, Puck thought she had somehow cut her foot on a broken shell, but when he turned to see her wading in the water, he starting laughing with her.

"Think that's funny, huh, Bats?" Will asked. The moonlight reflected in her eyes poised with mirth and a hint of mischief.

Catching this, Puck took a step back. "Don't get any ideas…" But it was too late as Will cupped her hands and plunged them into the water.

_SPLASH!_

"AAAH!" Water ran down the front of Puck's shirt, making him gasp and dance about as it penetrated the material and touched his skin with its icy chill. Will only laughed, bending to wrap her arms around herself. That is, she laughed until Puck turned and charged into the water after her. She had started this war and he was not about to let her get the better of him again. Will squealed and raced through the waves to avoid Puck. He only laughed, stopping occasionally to try and splash her. It seemed pretty sound payback for the embarrassment at the restaurant. He managed to hit her legs and her hip, but she retaliated transforming to use her wings and spray more water at him.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Puck yelled, using his arms to block his face from the onslaught.

"No rules!" Will shouted, shaking the droplets from her wings. "You're just mad you didn't think of it first."

"I was trying to be a gentleman," he replied. "However… You did make an excellent suggestion just now." Puck smiled so his fangs glinted in the light, his eyes narrowing like a wolf about to pounce on a helpless rabbit. He moved slowly, stalking his prey with a hunter's precision. He started to remove his jacket.

Will's eye widen and she stepped back. She knew she was taking a risk with the water. Heck, she remembered her dad had once dunked her older brother in the sink because he wouldn't stop using the water gun in the house. Her wings might have gotten Puck drenched with sea water, but Puck's wings were much larger, and stronger than her own. There was only one thing to to.

With a swift shift, Will transformed into a bat and flew off into the sky.

Puck chuckled, watching as she flapped away. "Oh, you won't get away that easy, my little bat," he said as he tossed his jacket aside. Luckily, Puck had two large slits down the length of his shirt to allow his wings freedom. He flapped them twice, un-cramping the muscles after having been folded against his body nearly all day. Then, he waited for Will to have a little more of a head start before jumping into the air after her, shifting to a bat so it would allow him more stealth. Puck chuckled as he quickly caught up with her. Her new vampiric abilities may have given her wings, but he had had centuries to practice navigating the air. Will was moving purely on instinct. He was an active hunter of the night.

Far ahead, Will looked over her shoulder. She had seen Puck take off after her but then he had shifted again, fusing with the night. _Darn it!_ she cursed to herself. _Forgot he blends in when all bat._ She looked around for a place to hide. Luckily, some dark clouds were approaching. If he was not already among them, she could easily maneuver through them and throw him off track. It was risky but Will went for it. She bolted for the clouds, feeling the moist air brush through her fur. When she felt far enough in, Will hovered at the center. The air was misty, indicating she must have flown into a rain cloud. As she waited for any sign of her follower, Will started to think over the evening.

Things had been much easier after Puck agreed to back off. It was nice to just hang out without him trying to be Mr. Romantic, or wherever act he was playing. He even behaved himself on the carriage ride. Sure she had been skeptical but Puck had already paid the guy, so why not. It was kind of fun touring the city in a horse drawn carriage. And if she were to be honest, Will was having a lot of fun with Puck. It reminded her of their first talk through the Hinterlands. Even tonight had been great. They talked like a couple of friends and nothing felt awkward or uncomfortable. She even had fun at the ice cream shop and she somehow gotten ice cream on her nose. Puck had laughed but she paid him by tipping his own cone as he ate, giving him an ice cream beard. Even splashing around in the water and starting this chase was fun.

However, thinking about all off it, Will started to wonder what had come over her. She had gone from hating the guy to acting like he was one of her closest friends. When had that happened?

_Ouch!_ Something sharp had hit her in the back. Will shrieked and looked around. There was no one there, but something definitely hit her. And it was sharp! It felt like she had been stuck by a large needle. _Well that was weird_, she said aloud. _I definitely felt something, but…_

_Surprise!_

_Aaah!_ Will shrieked as a large, leathery wing folded around her, trapping her against a solid form. She turned her head to find Puck grinning at her.

He chuckled, flapping his right wing harder to keep them balanced in the air. _You really should be more quiet if you're trying to hide from a hunter, little bat_, Puck teased. _Declare me the winner of this chase and I shall release you._

_Not a chance, Puck! _She laughed, squirming to get free. _Now let me go!_

_Not till you admit defeat_, Puck said. _Surrender, fair lady, tis your only chance._

Will continued to try wriggling herself free. _Nice try, Shakespeare, but thou art a fool to think I name thee victor. _

_Care to wager that? I can fly one-winged and hold you simultaneously for a very long time._

_Think so?_ Will leaned in closer, her gaze never leaving Puck. Her eyes became half-lidded and she flutter her long lashes. His eyes grew wide, lowering to discover her head was tilted toward him, her lips parting as she smiled. Puck gulped. He tried to breathe but the breath caught in his throat. He could not pull his gaze away from her. It took nearly all his concentration to keep them both airborne, though the task became increasingly difficult with her warm breath brushing his skin. All he could think was what she was going to do next.

There! His guard was down! Will smiled before angling her neck and releasing a curt breath she had been holding right into Puck's large bat ear. The soft wind was enough to tickle his sensitive ear, making Puck instantly release her to shake off the sensation. When he stopped, he looked at her with puzzlement.

Will just laughed before diving through the clouds, yelling, _Catch me if you can!_

Puck stared after her only a moment. Then, his pulse began to race. He could not believe it. Will was flirting with him! All night he had been trying to win her affection, and by taking Zack's advice and just being himself, she was flirting with him. She was even making him chase her again, taunting to see if he could capture her once more.

_Well_, Puck thought aloud,_ as you wish._ There was no chance he would about to back down from this.

Without further hesitation, Puck dove after her. It was not long before he spotted Will's retreating form. Her light coloring made her an easy target in the dark. Puck drew his wings closer to his body to gain more speed. As they dove, Puck could feel tiny droplets splash against the side of his face. Ignoring the signs of impending rain, Puck focused on getting closer, readying to wrap his wings around her the moment he was close enough. Soon enough, he was right on top of her.

Then, just as he was ready to grab her, Will turned and smiled, unfolding her wings to create a parachute that pulled her back. As he watched her rise back up, Puck realized too late that he was past the point to catch himself before he plummeted into the water with a loud _splash_.

Above, Will giggled impishly to herself. She was quite proud for letting Puck get so focused on her that he forgot they were flying above the water. She glided down to hover over the surface. She could still see the ripples where Puck crashed through the water, yet there was no sign of him anywhere.

_Puck?_ _Where are you?_ she called, scanning for any hint of Puck. She hoped to find him soon, it was starting to rain. Droplets of water were already splashing on her head.

Suddenly, two wings burst from the water, snapping up Will before dragging her beneath the surface. All was still but only for a moment. Then Will came bursting through the water in her human form. She gasped for air and struggled to get back to the beach. When she was in enough that the water only reached her knees, she stood still for a moment, trying to catch her breath. The rain had already made her damp, but now she was soaked to the bone.

Will turned just as another body broke through the surface. Puck chuckled, hair and clothes plastered against his skin as he walked up beside her. "I believe that makes us even," he chuckled, grinning sheepishly.

Will rolled her eyes. Then, with a smirk, she pushed Puck back into the water. He landed with a _thud_ and looked quite comical sprawled out, his large wings nearly dominating his form.

"Touché."

"S-Serves you r-r-right, j-je-jerk…" Will stuttered, shaking from the cold. Her arms were hugged tightly around her and she was shivering a bit.

Seeing this, Puck got up and was instantly at Will's side. He put his hands on her shoulders and brought his wings over top of them to keep the rain off. He was feeling the chill, though he knew Will was much colder. Puck had demon blood to keep himself warm, but Will was still technically human. she could get really sick.

"Oh man, if I'd known the weather would be this bad I wouldn't have… Oh, I'm so sorry, Will," Puck apologized.

"W-W-Would you st-stop," Will interrupted. She was trying not to shake but the chill in the air was making it very difficult. "I-I s-started it. I-I'll t-t-ake th-the bl-blame. L-Let's just get b-ba-back."

"I'll fly you back to your apartment," Puck suggested. He began to reach for her when Will blocked his hands. "Will!"

"I-Idiot…" she scolded. "W-What if yo-you're s-seen? B-Besides… Y-You told th-that guy we'd be b-ba-back. D-Don't you think it'll look s-suspicious if w-we d-don't show up?"

"… Do you always have to be right," Puck stated. He led them back onto the beach, grabbing his jacket before racing toward the shelter of the trees. Once under cover, Puck folded his wings back into his shirt until they lay tight against his back. He then held his jacket over his head.

"Come on." Puck gestured for Will to join him under his jacket.

Will only laughed and rolled her eyes, but she joined him, ducking under Puck's arm to escape the rain. Together they ran back to where they had parted from the carriage. The driver noted their soaked appearances and gestured to a box in the back. There were a couple towels and a thick blanket. Puck grabbed them and piled them into the back so he and Will could dry off. Once they dried, Puck wrapped the blanket around them to keep Will and him warm until they got back to the bike. By then the rain was hinting at turning into a downpour, but Puck tried to keep the ride slow.

By the time they got back to the apartment, the rain had started to pick up again. Puck parked the bike and let Will get off before moving to grab her things from the storage compartments. Then he walked Will back up to her apartment. Things were quiet as Will search for her keys. The only sound came from the _pitter patter_ of the rain on the roof and walkway.

Puck felt his pulse race watching Will. Now that they were out of the rain, he got a better look at her. The raindrops were caught in her hair, which had turned from gold to red because of the rain. Her skin was flushed from the cold and her wet clothes were clinging to her like a second skin. Puck had to remind himself that they agreed to a truce, but that did not stop him from wanting to kiss her right now. He had to say something, anything to break the silence.

"Hey," Will said, making Puck snap back to attention. "I just wanted to say that, well, I actually had fun tonight."

"Really?" Puck asked hopefully.

Will nodded. "Really. You're a pretty fun guy to hang with…once you stop acting like an obnoxious jerk."

Puck chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I was a little forward, wasn't I?"

"Why do you think I had this?" Will smiled, pulling a small green vile from her bag. "It's garlic oil from the Witch Shop. I would have worn it tonight if Kat hadn't grabbed it from me," she added. "She practically doused me in sweet pea perfume afterwards, but I pocketed the oil before you and I left. Just as a precaution." Will gave him a wink.

"Oh come on, I wasn't that bad now, was I?" Puck asked. He could not help eyeing the vial cautiously, his nose wrinkling slightly. "You'd really go as far as to poison me?"

"No, just made sure you kept a reasonable distance," she interjected. "After New Years, you really can't blame me."

"Yeah, I want to apologize for that too," Puck said, bowing his to the side. "I got some bad advice but that really is no excuse. A gentleman asks a lady permission. He should never force her."

Will smiled and clapped. "That's right! He can be taught!" They both laughed.

From across the street, Eros was on the edge watching his young couple. He was under a dark purple umbrella and using binoculars to watch Will and Puck. The smile he had would split his face in two if it got any bigger. Even if he had not managed to get the two of them on the dance floor, things had progressed rather well. And all because he had given Will that extra little nudge. Oh, she had just been so cute splashing Puck with water and getting him to chase her. Now they were alone. He could not have asked for a better set up: the starstruck couple, caught out in the rain; huddled close together to stay warm, so close that they would look into each other's eyes and come together in a kiss.

Eros squealed like a school girl. "Oooo, I can't stand it!" he squealed, returning to his binoculars to watch his plan come together.

Back on the porch, Will had finally gotten the door unlocked. She turned back to Puck and smiled. "Well, guess this is goodnight," she said. "Guess I'll see you around?" She turned to walk into the apartment.

"Uh, Will…"

"Yes? Did you need something?"

They stood there for several seconds. Will waited for Puck to speak while Puck stood completely frozen. He was not sure what to say. He thought about inviting himself inside. After all, their deal was that she would remain at his side until sunup. However, do to the rain it would be better if he let her go inside and warm up. He did not want her catching a cold, and they were both soaked to the bone. Yet, part of him wanted nothing more than to have Will tell him to stay. They had such a wonderful evening together. Will had even said that she had a great time. That meant something, right?

Will continued waiting for Puck. She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to say something, but she just did not know what.

"I-I was just, well… I was w-wondering if, maybe…" Puck struggled not to stutter but he was getting more nervous by the minute. He looked down at his feet.

Will bit her lip, feeling a little nervous herself. Puck was acting very strange and she was not sure what to do, or say, to break the awkward silence. Then she got an idea.

"Hey, did Zack tell you he's seeing a movie with Al and me Thursday?"

"Uh, he mentioned something but no specific details. Why?"

"You could come if you wanted," Will suggested. "That is, if you're not too busy."

Puck looked up, completely shocked. _D-Did she just say what I think she said?!_ he thought to himself. His pulse began to quicken, and he swallowed a lump that had built in his throat. "You… You mean that?" he asked.

Will smiled. "Well sure," she said, laughing a little. "I mean, Al and Zack will probably be making out the entire time, and it'd be nice to have someone to actually _watch_ the movie with."

_I can't believe it! She really wants to see me again!_ Puck thought. "I… I'd like that. I'd like that a lot," he said calmly, trying not to overwhelm her. "Sorry. I'm just surprised is all."

"Well, I admit, I didn't like you very much before," Will said, "but now that I've gotten to know you, the _real_ you, you're not such a bad guy."

"Then, you mean…"

Will smiled. "Yeah," she replied. "I have a feeling we are going to be really great friends."

It felt like his entire world had been shattered in that one single moment.

_Friends?! After all that, she just wants to be…friends?_ Puck felt like his heart had dropped down into his stomach. After all that, she still only saw him as a friend. A friend! He wanted to crawl into a hole in a dark cavern. He just could not believe it.

Completely ignorant of the blow she had given him, Will shivered and focused her attention back on the door. "Hey, let's call it a night," she suggested, looking back at Puck. "I know our deal was till sunup, but I'm freezing my butt off and looks like the rain isn't letting up. Can I raincheck you for a coffee or something?"

Seeing her offer was only for a casual get-together, Puck sighed in defeat. He gave her a friendly smile and said, "Yeah, coffee. Sounds great."

"Okay. Night Puck." With that, Will slipped inside her apartment and shut the door, leaving Puck standing alone on her porch, utterly defeated.

**XXX**

_Valentine's Town…_

Slowly the image of Puck leaving the porch and walking back to his bike in the rain rippled and returned to the steady flow of the waterfall.

Everyone was silent. Jack, Sally, and Psyche were all staring at the waterfall, trying to absorb all that they had seen. Eros had managed to grab another box of bonbons and was stuffing his face, tears building in his eyes. Valentine, on the other hand, was trying his best not to strangle his partner.

"All this fuss, all the whining and moping…" Valentine began to say. He look pointedly at Eros. "All this because you persisted in making these two a couple!"

"It just doesn't make any sense!" Eros pouted. "I even went as far as shooting her with a love arrow, and she STILL rejected Puck. How did this happen! HOW!"

"Eros, darling, I know this is upsetting for you, but there is that one percentile that isn't effected by your arrows," Psyche said.

Eros did not respond. Instead, he just continued to stuff his face. Valentine groaned, rubbing his aching temples, while Psyche moved to try and take the chocolates away from her husband.

Meanwhile, Jack and Sally were at a complete lost. Watching all that Eros had done to bring Will and Puck together was a little unsettling. For Sally's part, she had thought it was very sweet gesture, but at the same time, it was obvious Will had no romantic feelings for Puck.

Jack was having similar thoughts of his own. Sure, he had only recently thought about things like love when he realized his own feelings for Sally, but even he could see the obvious. Eros was trying to force a relationship that just was not there. What was worse was that someone had gotten hurt in the process. Jack could see that Puck deeply cared for Will, yet the same feelings were not reciprocated on Will's part. By now Jack was wishing he had not agreed when Valentine asked for his help. This was a much bigger problem them either Sally or he had anticipated.

Jack walked up to Valentine, placing a boney hand on his shoulder. "Valentine, I'm not sure Sally and I will be able to help you in this matter," he apologized. "I'm sorry."

Valentine sighed. "No, Jack, I should apologize," he said. "Had I known Eros really had used a love arrow on Will, I would not have asked you to come."

"Mr. Valentine, I don't understand," Sally interrupted, walking up beside Jack. "From what I understand, the arrows Eros shoots cause people to fall in love. If that's the case, then why didn't Will fall in love with Puck after she was shot?"

"Well, it is rare, but there are few humans like Will that can resist the effects of a love arrow," Valentine stated. "Over the centuries, I've had Eros dull down the potency of his arrows so that people would not be falling in love with the first thing they set their eyes on. Even the one Eros used on Puck was only meant to be temporary. Though, come to think of it, his infatuation should have worn off long ago. The only way it wouldn't have would be…"

"What's the matter, Valentine?" Jack asked, noting the sudden pause.

Valentine was deathly quiet. Without a word, he turned and walked over to where Eros and Psyche were still talking. He then grabbed Eros roughly by the shoulder and turned him around to face him. Both hands clutched the collar of the robe Eros wore. Psyche made a small yelp of terror as Valentine actually lifted Eros off the ground, anger causing the leader's body to shake as he tried not to snap Eros's neck in two.

"**YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!**"

"W-Why Vally? Why so cold all of a sudden?" Eros squeaked. His eyes were shut and he was trying to laugh, but his whole body was trembling with fear.

"You know very well what I'm talking about! Are you a _complete_ moron!" Valentine shouted. He dropped Eros and his hands clenched. "I thought I forbid you from ever using those cursed arrows of yours again. But do you ever listen to me? NO! You've gone too far this time, Eros!"

"Now now, Vally, be reasonable…" Eros said. He quickly dashed behind his wife, placing Psyche between him and the enraged saint. "After all, it was the only arrow I had that day, r-remember? You sent me to help the young groom who was about to dash from his wedding."

"That does not excuse you to use it on another. Dammit Eros, the effects of that particular arrow are _permanent_! You may as well have used one of those lead arrows on the boy!"

"Valley, don't even go there," Eros argued. "I despise those horrid things. I only use them in emergencies, and that hasn't happened since that one night after we went to that tavern a few decades back."

"Wait a minute!" Psyche removed herself from her husband's grasp and moved to Valentine's side. Her arms were crossed over her chest and one eyebrow was raised. "You mean to tell me this is all because of a TLA?"

Meanwhile, Jack and Sally felt as though they had been forgotten completely. They had been watching the display but neither of them had a clue as to what was going on. Jack knew there was more to this story and they needed answers. He stepped forward.

"Pardon me but could someone explain what is going on?" Jack asked, hoping he had not caused any further distress.

Taking a deep breath, Valentine composed himself before addressing the Pumpkin King. "Forgive me, Jack, but I am afraid this has become more complicated than I thought. When I said that the love arrows Eros uses were reduced in potency, I meant that the majority of them are less potent," he explained. "We cannot completely delude the love from the golden arrows, only transfer that feeling into another source. Those we call TLA, or True Love's Arrow, an arrow so infused with the essence of love that once a person is hit with it, they will never stop."

"We only have a small handful because a few of the arrows can be misfired and hit the wrong person," Psyche added. She crossed her arms and sighed. "That's how we end up with stalkers and the obsessed. It's a royal nightmare, and not even a lead arrow will undo the effect."

"And now Eros has just so kindly told us he used one of those on Puck," Valentine continued. He was becoming increasingly more annoyed with each passing moment. "I'm sorry, but this problem has just become more serious than I thought. Jack, I'm so sorry to have troubled you and you fiancé, but I'm afraid this matter will have to be dealt with myself."

Eros suddenly turned white as Jack's skull. "N-Now Vally… Let's talk about this, like civilized gents…"

Valentine turned toward Eros, his back to Jack and Sally. "Psyche, my dear, would you be so kind as to escort our guest back to the Holiday Doors. I must have a word with your irresponsible husband in private."

"Anything you say to me, you can say to my wife," Eros protested.

"Not true," Psyche interjected. Eros gave her a look but Psyche only shook her head. "Don't even try it, Eros. You made this mess and now you're gonna clean it up."

"But…"

"Let's go," Psyche said, already pushing Jack and Sally towards the door. They last thing any of them heard before the door closed was the sound of Eros begging for mercy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Just A Little Change**

About a week went by since the unexpected trip to Valentine Town. Up at Skellington Manor, Jack was just getting ready to meet with the Mayor about the plans for St. Patrick's Day. Meanwhile, Sally was getting things together for her meeting with Will and Al to look over the designs for their bridesmaid dresses. Despite everything seeming as normal as any other day, it would not go unnoticed that something was bothering the Pumpkin King and his bride-to-be.

Their walk back to the Holiday Doors with Psyche had been in silence. Even when Psyche bid them farewell, the pause in between had been very awkward. Still, just before they had stepped through the Halloween Door, Psyche had asked if there was still some way Jack and Sally might be able to help. She told them Valentine would be able to handle Eros, but he would need help on the other end.

Apparently, the arrow used was the very rare True Love's Arrow and sadly Puck was its unlikely victim. Where a golden arrow only enhances feelings of love for one day, the True Love's Arrow forever bound that person's heart to one person and one only. All the magic required was the smallest jolt of love of a first meeting. However, as with any magic, the arrow's spell had a darker price.

If the person did not receive the love of the one they loved, then their heart would become corrupted, turning them to a life of loneliness. Not even the lead arrow of loathing could break this spell. However, if the person struck fell in love with someone who did not return their feelings, they would live a life of longing despair or violent obsession.

It was for this reason Valentine strictly forbid Eros from using them. They were too powerful.

With this in mind, both Jack and Sally did not see how they could be of help. Psyche explained that there could still be a chance. It was small, and given the circumstances, not very likely. When asked what she was referring to, Psyche told them to talk to Will. Even though she had been struck with a golden arrow, the power did not affect her. This was a rare occurrence in Valentine Town. Under regular circumstances, a person would fall in love, but there were those who chose not to by sheer will. Simply put, Will was not opening up her heart for the chance. If Jack and Sally could somehow convince her to open up her heart, there was a chance Valentine could find a suitable match and then Eros would stop his sulking.

Since then, Jack and Sally had been puzzling over the task. It was not as if they did not want to help. It just was a little out of their element. After all, Jack Skellington was the Master of Fright, hence, his talent lay only in scaring people. Though it had taken him a year to court and propose to Sally, he still asked for advice when it came to romance. He just could not think of a way to coax Will to give Puck another chance.

Likewise, Sally could not think of a way to help their friend. Courtship had been easier because Jack and her loved each other very much, but she knew it took effort to make everything work. She had no idea how to bring two _other_ people together. In fact, the more she thought about everything, the more she worried they would only be meddling in the affairs of others. With all these thoughts fluttering about her mind, Sally could not concentrate on her sketches.

"Jack…" Sally asked. She twirled her pencil around, needing a channel for her nerves. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"Have you been feeling odd about Psyche's proposal as well?" Jack looked up from his stack of papers, a concerned gaze in his sockets.

The same look was reflected back at him. "It's just… I know it's Valentine's job to match people, but is it really our place to interfere? I want to help our friends, but I feel very odd about it."

"So have I," Jack replied. He stood up from the table and began to pace the room. "I mean, we've only known Will for less than a year, and Puck is practically a stranger. We know nothing about him, though I suppose we could talk to the Vampire Brothers if we needed to. Yet at the same time, I saw how Will reacted to Puck initially, and from the memory pearl, it would appear she is only seeking friendship and nothing further."

Jack stopped and sighed, his back to the table and arms crossed behind him. "It would be wrong to turn away someone asking for help, but how can I when I barely knew how to court a lady myself."

Sally's eyes never left Jack as he paced. Now as he stood there, deep in thought, she tried to think of something to say that would help them both. "Maybe… Maybe we could talk to them?"

"And how would we do that?" Jack asked. "You heard Psyche, Love. Will doesn't even want to try."

"Well, Will and Al are coming over today," Sally said. "While we're looking over plans for the wedding, I could mention something to Will. I would ask Al for help, but she isn't as subtle with a situation like this. Maybe…"

She gave a slight pause to bite at her lip, eyes rolling up towards the ceiling as she gathered her thoughts. "Maybe… I could get Will to talk about her date and even her personal feelings about Puck."

"That's not a bad idea, Sally," Jack said, "but how would you go about it?"

"I was thinking about telling her about some of my own experiences." Sally lowered her eyes, and as she did, Jack noticed a faint blush gracing her cheeks. "I was thinking I could mention how I felt before, when you didn't know I had feelings for you. They are still very precious to me, and if I shared them with Will, it might help her to be more open."

Jack spun around, his eye sockets locked on his fiancé. "Sally… That's brilliant!"

He dashed to her side, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed Sally's full red lips. "Oh, you clever creature," Jack said, his voice dropping lower as spoke. "What would I do without you?"

Sally giggled, patting Jack's arm. "I think you did fine before I came around."

Jack shook his skull before resting it just in the crook of her neck. "Oh no, I'm afraid I must disagree." He chuckled. "I have no idea how I managed to keep from falling apart without you. I may have had Zero to help me keep my skull on straight, but you, my Sally, are the only one who can talk any sense into this silly old skeleton when I'm off on another wild idea."

"Now Jack, I've told you before that you're not old," Sally mock scolded. She glanced over her shoulder. "I only wish I knew what it is I have to do so you realize that too."

A suave and somewhat mischievous smile crossed Jack's lips as he narrowed his eye sockets at his ladylove, his boney eyebrow arching slightly. "I think I may know of one way, my clever Sally." He raised one hand to bring his fingertips to her chin, tilting her head up toward him. "That is…_if_ you still want to convince me?"

Sally smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. "Flirt."

"Minx." Jack kissed her once more, this time just on the corner of her mouth.

"I _always _want to help you," she replied, turning in her chair so she could face him better. "Even though I may not always agree with some of your ideas, I will try my best to help you in any way I can."

Jack chuckled. "Don't I know it. Listening to me prattle on about Christmas. Making me a Sandy Claws outfit, and another one after I let the first get ruined. Being sneaky pouring an elixir of Fog Juice into the fountain to stall my Christmas ride." He could not help smiling at her cute little blush. "Not to mention how brave you were to help rescue Sandy after I was so foolish to put him in danger. Twice!" He sighed and slowly began stroking the stitching along her mouth with his thumb.

"And don't think I've forgotten about that lovely little basket you brought me when I was locked away with my experiments. I still can't believe you snuck out of the Doctor's lab just to bring it to me."

Sally tried not to shiver as his thumb traced over her sensitive stitches. She reached up and captured his hand in hers, pressing it against her cheek. "Jack, I did all those things because I care about you. And we already talked about that, remember? You were quite cross with Will even though you didn't listen when she told you I was outside."

She nuzzled his palm. "I'm just happy I was able to help you. I'm also glad I told you about sneaking out. I was so worried you would be upset with me."

"Now, Sally, I could never be upset with you, though I am still displeased with myself for not listening," Jack said, lower another octave. He leaned in closer. "If I had, I could have been doing this much sooner."

Before Sally could ask what he meant, Jack pressed his mouth to hers in a rather passionate kiss. Slow yet deep as his skeletal lips caressed the softness of hers, Sally sighed deeply, turning more in her chair until she was fully facing him. She then reached up and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck, pulling him closer. A low moan escaped Jack then as her small yet delicate fingers kneading into the grooves of his vertebrae. His hand moved along her cheek to bury deep into her red hair while his other hand drew around her waist. His fingers wrapped around the curve of her hip, eliciting a small moan from his beloved.

"Woohoo! Should I come back later?"

Jack and Sally froze. Their eyes opened to see Will standing just inside the kitchen door. She smiled at them. To her right, Zero floated with somewhat sheepish grin on his ghostly muzzle. Embarrassment hardly described the situation as Jack and Sally separated, making Will laugh at the expression on both her friends' faces.

Jack glared back at her. He really needed to speak with the girl about barging in unannounced. "Will!"

"Hey, I did knock." Will giggled before walking toward the the table with Zero by her side. "We agreed three o'clock, so don't get mad at me if you forget to watch the time, Mr. Kissy-Face."

Bones blanching, Jack cleared his throat, hoping to change the subject. "Yes, well, now that you're here, I'll let you ladies get started." He kissed Sally's cheek before turning to grab his paperwork. Once in hand, Jack walked toward the front door. "I'll be at the Town Hall looking over some plans–"

"Hold it!" Will called. Jack stooped and turned to find her pointing at the kitchen table. "You are not going anywhere till we solve one little matter."

"Will, I cannot keep the Mayor waiting."

"For this you can. Now sit." Jack huffed but did as he was told. He sat down across from Sally and waited for Will to explain.

Will smiled. "Alright folks, here's the thing. You two need to pick a date for your wedding, and nobody is moving an inch until the matter is solved."

"This is why you're keeping me," Jack asked, "to decide on a date?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who put it off for two months," Will replied. "Look, the sooner you pick a date, the sooner we can get wedding details sorted out. I know this is kind of new for you, but weddings do take a long time to plan."

"We understand, Will," Sally said, "it's just we haven't really discussed it."

"That's why I'm here." Will set down her stack, reaching for the top to pull what looked like a binder. She flipped through the pages before finding what she needed. She turned to show her friends. It was a calendar.

"Time to organize."

"Uh, Will? Where's Al?" Jack looked about, almost expecting the young redhead to jump out at some point.

Will sucked in a breath. "Yeah, about that… She got called in to cover a shift at the bowling alley. She was less than thrilled. Be happy I made it without any injuries, this time."

"It can't be that bad," Jack said.

"I'll be sure to tell her you said that when she comes home tonight," Will noted. "Now, back to business. Have you at least got an idea about when you want to have the wedding. I already thought evening since most of the folks around here are basically nocturnal. The question is, what about season. You got four choices."

"Oh, well an evening wedding would be lovely," Sally replied.

"Hmm… It does make sense, though perhaps something a little earlier," Jack suggested. "And as for the date, why not–"

"Don't say Halloween!"

Both Jack and Sally turned to look at Will. Sally was surprised by her outburst, but Jack was more surprised that she would turn down his idea. "And why not? It seems to make the most sense," he asked.

Will rolled her eyes. "Jack, while I agree that it is the most obvious choice, it's also a bad idea. So are using Christmas or Valentine's Day."

"What's wrong with them?"

"Plenty, but I'll stick to the basics. For starters–" Will held up her hand to count off her points. "–getting married on on Valentine's Day is taboo. Most romantic holiday, day for lovers, etcetera. And as for Halloween or Christmas, that's just a bad idea."

"Why would it be bad?" Sally asked, a little confused. "They both have special meaning for us."

"Yes, I know, but the problem is they're major holidays," Will explained. "Look, Santa takes all year getting ready for Christmas, right? And do you two remember how chaotic it was around here when Jack had us prepare it in two months?"

"Gives me headaches just thinking about it," Jack replied, rubbing one side of his skull. "Plus, I think Sandy would prefer if I didn't upstage him again."

"Another excellent point."

"But I still don't understand why we can't use Halloween?" Jack retaliated. "After all, I am the Pumpkin King and it's eight months away, giving us plenty of time to plan. Not to mention it is our holiday."

"And there's the problem, Jack. It's _your_ holiday. Can you imagine trying to plan an entire holiday AND your wedding at the same time? You'd never get anything done."

"She does make a point, Jack," Sally added, looking at him with concern. "You always get overwhelmed with the details, and the Mayor does put a lot of pressure on you with checking and rechecking every detail."

"Exactly!" Will exclaimed. "Look, I can tell you still don't like it, but how about I put it to you this way. If you try this, it'll be like doing everything for Halloween. Making plans, letting everyone know the specifics, set up, rehearsals, and all that… " She waited until she knew she had Jack's full attention. "It would be doing all that, which takes you an entire _year_ to work out, and doing it all the month _before_ Halloween."

Things were quiet for a moment. Jack was lost in thought, putting together everything Will was telling them. Suddenly, his eyes went wide.

_Pop!_

Will and Sally watched in shocked as Jack's head rolled across the table. Will pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing, while Sally stood up from her seat. It was not the first time Jack had lost his head, but she had never seen him shocked enough to cause it to happen like this. She reached over and picked up Jack's skull, placing it back on his body. When he was whole again, she could tell his was still tense by how stiffly he sat in the chair. Sally began rubbing his shoulders in a hope to calm him down.

"I think he gets it," Will said, still trying not to laugh. "Look, I'm not saying it couldn't be done, I just don't think you want to be planning for both events at once. That's why I'm suggesting we pick a different date."

"What would you recommend then, Will?" Sally asked, noting Jack was starting to relax under her hands.

"Again, that depends on you. If you want a big fancy wedding that requires a thick binder of detail, we'll need plenty of time to plan. Months or a year at the least. But if you want something simple, I think I can get everything done and ready in a couple months."

"A couple months?" Jack finally snapped out of his daze, and was now looking accusingly at Will. "Didn't you just say that weddings take more planning?"

"Yes but again, I said it depends on kind of wedding," Will corrected. "Big weddings equal lots of time and planning, but a smaller wedding does not need much time. Heck, I know people who just grab a white dress, go to the court house, and are married in a couple hours."

Jack could not believe what he was hearing. "How did you get so knowledgeable about weddings?"

"I watch a lot of _Say Yes to the Dress_." Will turned back to her calendar. "But getting back to basics, we still need a date. And not trying to rush, but I already made you ten minutes late arguing out one detail."

Jack glared back at her. "Well, my ideas were already dismissed." He looked over his shoulder. "Do you have any preferences, Sally?"

"Well…" She bit her lip in thought. "… How about June? The summer nights are nice, and there's no holidays going on during that month."

"Ooo! I could totally see you as a June bride!" Will said with a big smile. "Summer sun setting, some decor here and there, and everyone gathered around. What do you think?"

"It sounds wonderful to me," Sally replied. "Oh! Maybe we could have it on the thirteenth. I believe it's on a Friday this year."

"Hmm… A Friday the Thirteenth wedding? Unlucky for some, but it would give us that Halloween-in-summer feel." Will smiled and nodded her head. "Sally, I like the way you think. So, what do you think, Jack?"

Both Willa and Sally looked to Jack. He felt a little overwhelmed but he admired that the idea of a wedding in June would be nice. The Halloween Town residents preceded not to do much during the summer months. The days could get very warm, but the nights were cooler. Why, if the timing worked out, they might even celebrate on the summer solstice during their honeymoon. There was just one thing bothering him.

"It's not that I'm against the idea," Jack started to tell them, "but do you really think you could pull this all together in four months? We could wait a year or two if we need more time."

Will rolled her eyes. "Hey, you were the one who said he couldn't wait any longer to be with the love of his afterlife," she noted, chuckling as Sally blushed and Jack blanched. "Anyway, I know it's possible. My own parents only had a two monthlong engagement."

"Really?"

"Yep. So, if we followed the same plan my dad had, then we can have something ready in time and still be fantastic. All we're missing is for your say on all this."

**XXX**

"These look amazing, Sally," Will exclaimed, looking over the sketches. It had been a couple hours since they had finalized the wedding date, and now it was just the girls. So far they had decided on the location, flower arrangements, and bridal party. Now Sally just needed Will's thoughts on her designs for the bridesmaid dresses. Will had already told her she could have whatever she wanted—it was _her_ wedding, after all—but Sally wanted the girls to like the dresses. Judging from Will's reaction, it was a definite approval.

Sally smiled. "I'm glad you like them."

"I know Al will be thrilled. When do you think you can have them ready?"

"I think I can have them made within a month," Sally replied. "Though if I push myself, I could have them done within a week or two."

"Oh no, you have enough to do. Just take your time with the dresses. Besides, Jack will have a spaz attack if you're all stressed out before the wedding. "

"You have a point. Jack has been a little on edge himself since he proposed."

"A little?" Will gave a dry smile that made Sally giggle. "Okay, I won't ask, but I will warn you. When the wedding gets closer, your man is going to be _really_ high-strung."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

"So, to avoid having two stressed out newlyweds, what time estimate can you really give me on the dresses?"

Sally looked over her designs again. She did not have much to do, but these designs would take her time. "Alright, I can have them ready by the end of next month. Would that work?"

"That's perfect!" Will noted it in her planner. "Okay, so we got our basic schedule down. Al and I can come for the fitting the morning you finish the dresses, and then I think we can schedule our final fitting for two days before the wedding day. That way we'll be able to take you out for some shopping and your bachelorette party."

"Bachelor what?"

"Bachelorette party," Will corrected. "It's a party the bridesmaids throw for the bride, like a celebration for your last night as a single lady."

"If you say so. Did we get everything covered?"

"I think that's about all we can do for now," Will said. She shuffled a stack of papers together together before turning to write in her planner. "Gotta say, this went a lot better than last time we tried making plans."

"I remember you were the one who got us off topic."

"Hey, I didn't tell Jack to chase you all over the backyard for a little flirting and kissing. That's all on you, Miss Sally."

Sally tried to look cross, but she could not stop from laughing, and it ended up with her nose wrinkling. It reminded Will of an angry bunny and made her laugh.

"Do you want to pick this up tomorrow?" Will asked, begging to pack up her things.

"That sounds fine. I don't think I could come up with anymore ideas today," Sally said, getting up from the table. She stretched her limbs before moving toward the stove. She began getting things together to make a pot of tea for when Jack came home, when she remembered Will was still there.

"Would you care for some tea, Will?"

"Sure…" Will was just adding some last minute notes to her planner before setting everything aside. Then she let herself relax.

"I'll make copies at home and bring them tomorrow for you and Jack to go over. Then we can schedule for when you want to get all this out together. Oh! And don't let me forget to talk to Jack about setting up an account for you guys so I can pick up wedding stuff, and for our shopping trip."

"Will, wouldn't it be better to go at night?" Sally asked.

"I thought about that. I would love to see the mall after hours, but Al wouldn't go for it. She's not a fan of the dark, remember?"

"I guess you have a point."

"Exactly. Still, I definitely want to go. I still find it hard to believe the malls become open to monsters and ghosts after hours. We need to go one of these days, just you and me."

"I still don't understand why you need me to come." Sally recalled Will mentioning wanting to take her shopping for the honeymoon. Jack was keeping the destination a secret, but apparently he confided in Will so she could help pack for the trip. Still, the idea of shopping for clothes when she could just make her own seemed a little unnecessary.

"Well, for one thing, you're the bride," Will said, "and it would be nice to have your input on things we buy for your wedding. Another thing, I need help wrangling Al when it comes that _other_ shopping we talked about."

Sally felt her face get very warm. She started searching for the tea cups, needing a distraction. "A-Are you sure we need to do _that_?"

Will laughed. "Sorry Sally, but Al ain't budging when it comes to looking good for the wedding night. And believe me, you would rather go through the humiliation of picking out lingerie for yourself than have Al choosing for you. Knowing her, she either put you in anything and everything with lace, something red and tiny-tight, or something in black leather with a spiked dog collar and a bullwhip."

The cups fell from Sally's hands. Luckily, she was still at the counter so nothing broke. As she gathered the cups, Sally swore her whole face had to be a completely different color. The mental picture of her in something so, so… Risqué… It was completely out of her comfort zone. It did not even come close to it.

Seeing her distress, Will took pity on Sally. She stood up from the table and gave her rag doll friend a hug.

"Don't get too flustered, okay? No way I'd let Al go that crazy for your wedding. Or any wedding other then her own for that matter." Will laughed and walked back to her seat. "That's why when it's my turn, I'm packing an extra suitcase for my honeymoon, and sending it to the hotel ahead of time because Al would just steal it and replace all my clothes with frilly underwear."

"Oh! Well, I definitely wouldn't want that." They both laughed before Sally turned her attention back to the tea. Things were quiet for a moment. Then it was broken by the sound of the kettle whistling. While she added the herbs, Sally kept mulling over Will's words.

"So… You've thought about things like that?" she asked, pouring the tea into two cups. "About getting married?"

"Well, yeah, who hasn't?" Will retorted. "I like to think every girl dreams of finding Mr. Right, having a dream wedding, and settling down. Why?"

"It's just that you've never spoken about having a dearest friend. I… I guess I just assumed you didn't want something like that."

Will was quiet for a moment.

Sally grabbed the cups and walked back to the table. She placed on in front of her friend before taking her seat. She then waited until Will felt ready to talk.

"It's not like I don't want to," Will said, running her finger over the rim of her cup. "I mean, I have no problem talking to guys, but when Kat or Al try to fix me up on a date, I want nothing to do with it. Plus, whenever I meet a guy, I automatically friend zone him, so that's no help."

"Friend zone?"

"You know, only being friends and not more than friends. Make sense?"

"I think so." Sally took a sip of her tea. Apparently, this was what Psyche meant when she explain Will would not open up her heart. It sounded to her that Will was not doing it on purpose. She simply had not found the right person to make her want to have a relationship. And if her friends kept pushing her, then Will might decide to give up.

"I'm probably being hypocritical," Will said. "I mean, I'm not interested in dating, yet Al usually comes to me for boy advice, despite my lack of experience. Not to mention all the pushing I did to help you and Jack."

Sally nodded. "The mistletoe was a bit obvious."

"No kidding, and it still took him till Christmas to get the hint," Will added, making both of them laugh.

"Though, seriously, how did you keep things interesting after I went home? I mean, I seem to recall a certain dolly telling me a few things while she was stitching together a red suit."

Now Sally was blushing. "You are never letting me forget that, are you?"

"To be fair, I was digging for information to help clear Jack's dense skull. Though seems Jack needs a courageous heroine taking charge to catch his eye than her friend dropping hints."

"I don't think I'm that courageous."

"As Jack would say, 'now don't be modest,'" Will quoted, lowering her voice to sound like Jack. "After all, 'who else is clever enough.' Not to mention you went into Oogie's lair all alone to save Santa Claus." She shivered. "I still get creeped out that pervert was all over your leg. Please tell me you boiled it after we left."

"Not the best idea, but at least it distracted Oogie…for a little while…"

"Sadly yes… How'd Jack handle that anyway?" Will asked. "I know you were apprehensive about telling him about the Doc and the nightshade thing, but that would seem easy compared to the Oogie distraction."

Sally cleared her throat. "Uh, let's just say Jack wasn't pleased and leave it at that."

"I would imagine so," Will noted, taking another sip of her tea. "But in any case, it's good to know your relationship is strong enough that things like that don't bother you. I think its great you can be so open with each other."

"Well, it wasn't always that way," Sally admitted.

"Come again?" Will's head perked up, one eyebrow raised. "I mean, I get you had to first meet and all, but I figured you liked him since day one."

"I did like him, but I didn't fall in love with Jack the first time we met," Sally corrected. "Remember, I told you about that."

"Yeah, I remember: It was a year before Jack's Christmas fiasco, and Oogie ordered Lock, Shock, and Barrel to kidnap Jack so he could take over Halloween Town, but for some reason they mistook you for Jack. Don't see how though. You both may be the tallest in town, but you got curves, plus you're way prettier." Will have her a wink. "But you said you had a crush on him then?"

Sally smiled and shook her head. "Yes, well, aside from that… I had heard about him from the Doctor and a few whispers in town around that time, even though I had only recently been created. Everyone just talked so highly of him. I wanted to meet him for myself."

"So you were a fan girl!" Will laughed. "Haha, that's too good."

"Anyway… After he rescued me and Halloween went as planned, Jack came by the following day. I'll admit, I was surprised."

* * *

_Doctor Finklestein's Laboratory, November 1…_

_Knock, knock!_

"Sally, get the door!" the Doctor ordered. He was bust with an experiment and could not be bothered.

"Yes, sir." Sally bustled down the ramp. She went carefully so not to slip and fall, walking with one foot in a black heeled show and the other in a ratty slippers she found. She never used the slippers before, but they were better than walking around with one shoe or in her socks. She had spent all morning trying to find her shoe, checking every place she could think of. Then she realized it must have fallen off when those three odd children kidnapped her. She thought about asking the Doctor for a new pair, but then changed her mind at the last minute. The Doctor was working on an important experiment and did not want to bothered. Besides, he would only scold her for being so careless.

"I'm coming." She finally reached the door and opened it. "Oh!"

Standing there, tall and dapper as he was the night before, Jack Skellington smiled down at her.

"Well, hello there," he greeted.

"H-Hello."

"Well, this is a surprise. You're just the person I needed to see."

"Me?!" Sally could not believe her ears. Meeting the Pumpkin King last night after he rescued her from that awful boogieman had been almost a dream. She would have thought it all one too, had it not been for her missing shoe. And now here he was, Jack Skellington, standing at the door specifically asking for _her_. She could hardly breath, not that she needed to.

Jack chuckled. "Yes, Sally. You see, with all the fuss and celebration yesterday, I never got the chance to return something of yours," he said. "I found it during my investigation of the bug invasion. Apparently, many of the citizens lost things in all the confusion. I tried to find you after the Halloween party, but you seemed to have disappeared."

"Oh, I'm sorry. The Doctor was tired and wanted to return to the lab."

"Now, now. No need to apologize. I understand the Doctor would want to retire after the festivities, and I didn't want to disturb you at such a late hour. That's why I came by this morning."

"Well, okay. umm… What is it, exactly?"

Jack smiled and reached into his inner jacket pocket. When he withdrew his hand, he held a small little black shoe. "I believe this is yours."

"Where did you find that?"

"It was in one of the back alleyways."

"Oh, thank you so much. They're my only pair. I'm not sure what I would've done without it."

"Sally! Who's at the door!"

"Oh dear, I better get going." Sally turned back to Jack with an apologetic smile. "Sorry but I better go before he gets angry."

Sally took her shoe and stepped back inside. She tried to swap her shoes while standing, but the task proved difficult as her legs wobbled. She was in too much of a hurry. Then Sally remembered an old bench near the kitchen she could use to swap her shoe for her slipper. As she sat down to remove the slipper, she startled by a tall thin shadow standing over her.

"Allow me to be of assistance."

"Oh, you don't have…" But Jack had bent down to one knee and picked up her left foot. He then slipped off her slipper before holding out his hand for her shoe. Too paralyzed to respond, Sally held out the shoe. Their fingers brushed slightly before Jack slipped the shoe onto her foot and released his hand from her ankle.

"There now," Jack said. "Much better."

* * *

"Aww! That's so cute, like when Cinderella got her glass slipper back," Will said. She had been leaning over the table as Sally told the story, the tea long forgotten.

"I was completely surprised he did that," Sally continued. "I never blushed before, though Jack said I looked adorable, making both of us laugh."

"So, is that when you fell hopelessly in love with him?"

"No, it was a little later. I wanted to walk out to the graveyard for more herbs, but I wasn't allowed then. That was the first time I had used nightshade on Dr. Finklestein." Sally bit her lip as she recalled how she had used too much nightshade that first time, and the Doctor had been so angry because he lost a full day's work.

"When I went to get the herbs I happened to come upon Jack playing fetch with Zero," she continued. "Zero came to greet me and dropped one of Jack's ribs in my hand for me to throw. I was a little embarrassed at the time, but not nearly as bad as Jack. It was the first time anyone other than he or Zero had touched one of his bones."

"Ooo! Scandalous." Will winked.

"Anyway, after that, we walked through the graveyard a bit. Jack showed me where to find some of the herbs I was looking for, and I found a few he never knew were there. I remember we talked for a long time. Jack told me some stories from his previous Halloweens, though he seemed less enthusiastic about them. There were other times after that I got to have those talks with him. I always enjoyed being with Jack whenever I could, and over time, I got to know the real him, not just the infamous Pumpkin King. I've always had feeling for Jack, but I think, in a way, it was that day with my shoe that made me begin to fall in love."

"I'd like to think so," Will said. She stood up and poured them each another cup of tea. "It would be better than when he rescued you. Not that the idea isn't romantic, but it's a little cliché."

"And yet it was the second time he saved me that I was able to tell Jack how I felt."

"Just try not to make a habit of it, okay?" Will teased.

"I think three times is enough," Sally replied, making Will laugh. She took her seat and stirred her tea quietly for a moment.

"So…"

"So what?" Sally asked, taking a sip from her cup.

"So… What was it like when you two started dating?" Will asked with a devilish grin. "I gotta know, especially if Jack was that cute before."

Sally laughed. "Not easy, I can assure you. Between planning Halloween and trying to meet with the other Holiday Leaders, Jack and I had quite a few dates. Though none of them worked out quite as Jack planned."

"Oh, do tell!"

"Let me tell you about our first Valentine's Day together. It was going well, until Jack found these Moonflowers…"

**XXX**

**AN:** Okay, sorry about the late update, but hope you enjoy this new chapter. For those of you wondering, yes, I am tying in _Moonstruck_ into this, so be on the look out for any tie-ins to some of my other NBC stories. Until next time, have a good day, and please leave a review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Maybe… Just maybe…**

"Thanks again for coming." Sally pulled Will into a hug as they said their goodbyes.

"Anytime, and thanks for telling me all those stories. I especially loved one where you fell out of the boat, and the one with your first fireworks."

"Well, I'm just glad Jack didn't try to make his own for the New Year's party. I don't even want to think about the kind he and Dr. Finklestein would come up with."

"And that's why intelligence runs a little stronger on the female side."

"You're headed home then?"

"No. I need to stop by the Doc's place first. He's working on a special project for me."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You'll see." She gave Sally a wink. "Okay, see you tomorrow!"

They waved goodbye before Will turned to begin her long walk down the steps. She went slow, trying not to count each one or loose her concentration to not fall. No matter how many times she walked these stairs, Will still hated how steep they were. She remembered nearly breaking her neck the first time she tried walking these treacherous things. Luckily, Zero alerted Jack to her falling just in time. Sometimes having freakishly long limbs was a good thing.

Once she reached the bottom, Will began making her way to the Doctor's lab. She could not wait to see how her little surprise was coming along. As she walked, Will thought over some of the plans she and Sally discussed. It seemed everything would work out. Then again, if she kept thinking like that, something disastrous was bound to happen.

_SCREECH!_

"What the hell?" Will looked around but she could not find the source of the sound. She listened for it again. When she heard it, Will raced off toward the direction. Her feet lead her to the Witch Shop. Puzzled, she looked around until the sound of crashing metal caught her attention. It gave her enough time to dodge a rolling trashcan headed for her.

_Take that back!_

_You dare challenge me, boy!_

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Will walked in the direction the trashcan had flown. She only had to take a few steps before she came upon the scene. A sleek black cat was clawing at the air in an attempt to capture a large bat as it dove for the cat's head. Both creatures were biting and clawing at one another. There were small splatters of blood on the cobblestone. The bat screeched, aiming for the back, when the cat's tail swatted it. The bat hit the wall and slumped to the ground. It tried to get to its feet, but the cat was faster, pinning the bat to the ground.

_Well, well. Any last words, whelp?_ the cat taunted, raising its claws.

_I've beaten bigger than you, flea-bag!_

_Haha. I normally don't partake in flight food, but for you I'll make an exception._

_I'll tear you open before you get the chance._

_Then I guess I'll start by biting off your head. Might teach you to silence that large mouth of yours._

"Okay, that's it!" Will marched over and grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck. It howled at her, but Will gave it a quick shake.

_Unhand me, girl… Wait!_ The cat sniffed the air, purring in pleasure. _Berries. Silk. Orchid… I know that delectable scent. Is that you, my dear kitten?_

"Cut the sweet-talk, Hex, I'm not in the mood."

_Ah, that is you my sweet little trick. I must say, I prefer your sleek blonde fur. Surely my mistress could…_

"Don't even go there!" Will tossed him. He landed gracefully. "Now scat before I convince Helgamine to _chop chop_." She held up her hand and moved her fingers like a pair of scissors.

Hexxus winced but then gave Will a smoldering look. _Fiery! Next time, little one. And boy, I see your face again, I won't hesitate to make a meal out of you._ He purred before scampering off.

Will rolled her eyes. She really did need to talk the the witches about getting their cats fixed. The testosterone in Hexxus was getting unbearable. _And speaking of male testosterone…_ Will thought. She turned around to find the bat trying to sneak away.

"Not so fast, Mister!" Will said. She grabbed the winged creature by the neck.

_OWW! Let me go!_ The bat twisted to free himself. _I'm not a mouse. Put me down!_

"Puck, mind telling me why you're picking a fight with one of the witches' cats?"

The bat stopped struggling as he turned to look up at her. _You knew it was me?_

"I've seen you like this many times. Not hard to forget."

Will maneuvered Puck so he sat more comfortably. Then she saw the red on her palms. "Puck, your bleeding."

_Just a couple scratches, no big deal._ He began licking his wounds when Will bopped Puck's head with her finger. _Hey!_

"Don't do that," she scolded. "You need to clean those properly or they'll get infected."

_Will, have you forgotten I lived as a bat for almost two years? Not to mention I'm a demon-vampire half breed_, Puck teased, flashing her a smile._ I do know how to care for myself when I'm injured._

"Duh, I'm not an idiot, but you still need to have those looked at," Will said. "It's a good thing I was already on my way to see Finklestein. I'm sure he has some bandages."

_I'll be fine, Will. I have had practice caring for things like this…_

"Tuff! You're banged up and need more than bat spit. Plus, this place looks like a mini murder scene. You're going."

Will quickly grabbed him before he could escape. Puck struggled in her grasp. _Will, put me down already._

Will just laughed. "Not so fun being carried when you know you can walk," she said, moving to hold the bat in one hand. "Consider this payback."

Using her free hand Will removed the bandana from her head and wrapped it around Puck. He struggled but his wounds hurt too much, so he surrendered to being wrapped into a bat burrito. Once he was still, Will tucked him under her arm and started walking toward Finklestein's lab. A few times Will thought he would transform, though Puck must either have been unable to, or he had decided against was probably for the best. If Puck did transform, he would knock them both to the ground with him on top of her.

When will finally reached the lab, Will ran up the path and knocked on the door. In a few moments, the tall figure of Dr. Finklestein's assistant stood in the entryway.

"Willa, what a nice surprise."

"Hey Jewel," Will said. "Is the Doctor in a good mood?"

"He is in the lab but I'm sure he'd be willing to see you. He's been working nonstop on that little project of yours."

"That's good to hear. Oh! Before I forget, do you have a first aide kit?" Will asked, holding up Puck. "This little guy got into it with Hexxus and lost. Badly."

"Oh dear. Poor little thing." Jewel picked up Puck and stroked the top of his head with her finger. "Hexxus has been getting a little aggressive as of late. I'll speak with Helgamine about that," Jewel said. "In the meantime, this little one needs some attention. Come along."

Will followed after her. Though she had been back a few times, Will could not help but cautiously scan the ramp as Jewel led her to the laboratory. She knew no giant flaming metal balls would roll down, but it did not stop her from checking. Soon they reached the top where Jewel and Will found the examination room. It used to be Sally's room, but the Doctor had remodeled it after it had been used to treat Will's injuries. There was an examination table and a cabinet filled with medical supplies.

Jewel set Puck in the table before heading to the cabinet. Will walked up next to him.

"How you feeling?" Will whispered.

_Like Zack replaced the scrubbing brush in my shower with steel wool_, Puck answered. He squirmed himself free from the bandana. _So, you gonna stay and make sure I get medical treatment?_

"Only if you're a baby about it. And why are you still a bat? You can change back, you know."

_I know. Just more fun._

Will rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just don't expect another blood donation from me."

"Will, who are you talking to?" Jewel asked. She was carrying a tray with medical bandages, cotton balls, tape, and a large bottle of iodine.

"Just ensuring this little guys here has nothing to worry about," Will replied, stepping out if the way. "So, should I go see Finklestein or–"

"Actually, he's busy at the moment," Jewel said. "Why don't you stay here and tend to your little bat friend. I'll go and speak with the Doctor once his business is taken care of."

"Okay…" Will watched as Jewel left the room before turning back to the table. Puck was smiling up at her.

"No funny business, got that?"

_I would never._

"Good. Now, let's start by you turning back into you."

_Why?_

Will turned toward the medical supplies Jewel had brought. "Because it'll be easier for me to see the wounds without your fur concealing them. Plus, I can't work with the bandages when your that cute and tiny."

"I'm actually rather large for an average bat," Puck replied, "but I'm glad you think my bat form is cute."

Will turned around to retort and nearly dropped the gauze in her hand. Puck had transformed back and was sitting on the bed, but she had not expected him to be like this. Hexxus really had done a number on him. His shirt was torn to ribbons and there were patches of blood everywhere. Long claw marks raked over his arms, face and chest, and there was a nasty bit on the right side of his neck. Even his wings, which were folded down and leaned off the table, were bruised and bloodied with small tears in the membrane.

"Holy crap, Puck, you looked like you were mauled!"

"Close, but kitty wasn't quite fast enough." Puck grinned. "It's really not as bad as it looks."

"Bull! Those are bad. Plus, Hexxus isn't exactly the cleanest cat," Will said, picking up the cotton balls and iodine. "Do you want to get Cat-Scratch Fever or something?"

"I think you're overreacting."

"Oh, shut up." She glared at him. "Let's just see what the damage is."

With Puck sitting she was almost eye level with him. His entire upper body was covered in scratches, but they were worse along his neck and face. Especially his neck. Will moved what was left of Puck's shirt collar to get a better look at the injury. Upon closer inspection, it looked like Hexxus had caused more than a superficial flesh wound. That would get infected even if she did clean it. She decided to start there.

_Sometimes it pays to have a roommate who works at a veterinary clinic_, Will thought. She poured the iodine onto a cotton ball and went straight for Puck's neck.

"Aaah!"

"I didn't touch you yet," Will said. She tried again, but Puck flinched. "Hold still."

Puck grunted. He kept moving further away. Each time she got close, Puck found a way to dodge her. Will was getting frustrated. Finally, she lost her temper, and pushed the cotton ball against Pucks neck, deep int the gash. He screamed.

"Damn it!" He jumped off the bed and glared back at her. "That hurt!"

"It wouldn't have if you'd hold still," Will argued.

"If you hadn't jabbed me, I wouldn't have moved."

"If you'd let me treat your injuries, I wouldn't have had to jab you!"

"Well, well… You weren't even supposed to be in that alley, so you shouldn't have intervened."

"Are you kidding me? You shouldn't have been picking a fight with Hexxus in the first place. You're went at him in a Hulk rage and nearly got yourself killed. So don't get mad at me for your dumb-ass mistake!"

Puck was quiet. He looked like he wanted to say something but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he walked back toward the table and sat down, his head bowed to the floor. Will huffed. She did not want to fight with him. She decided to leave his neck for last. Instead, she went for his left forearm. Upon examination, it was obvious the scratches extended from wrist to just under his shoulder. The sleeve was in tatters. Seeing as there was no way to mend it, Will tore the sleeve off. Then, taking a new iodine soaked cotton ball, Will gently took ahold of Puck's arm.

"Now, try to hold still. This is going to sting." She gently dabbed the area with the cotton ball. Puck hissed from the pain, but otherwise he let her work. It was not long before she had the entire arm cleaned.

Will to see the used cotton balls into the waist basket and walked back to the medical cabinet. She remembered Dr. Finklestein kept some healing salve on the top shelf. She had to stand on tiptoe just to reach it. Taking the jar, Will returned to Puck. She dipped her hand in the jar and started covering his arm with the salve. It warmed the more Will worked it into his skin. Once done, she used the gauze and tape to bandage up the area so the entire arm was mummified.

"One down, the rest to go. Take off your shirt."

**XXX**

"Yes, these new parade designs look marvelous," Dr. Finklestein said, taking another look at the blueprints.

"Oh, I couldn't agree more, Doctor," Jack replied. "This year's St. Patrick celebration will be much better than last year."

"Yes, Lock, Shock and Barrel did get rather rambunctious with that blasted no green rule."

"Don't remind me." Jack could still remember how sore his joints were from the trick-or-treaters' excessive pinching. Luckily, Sally and the witches had made green accessories for everyone to wear this year.

"I could only imagine what would happen if those three got into the town's wine cellar again," Dr. Finklestein added. "We will need to take more precautions. Glenn makes a strong ale, but it would be wiser if he held off this year. Luckily, only a few were affected by that drink last time."

"I only wish no one had been." Jack sighed at the memory of how miserable many citizens were the next day. Sally had been the worst, having never had a drink before and drunk three large cups of the spiked punch. Jack had only been glad Lock, Shock, and Barrel had decided to partake in their handiwork. Their hangovers were more than enough punishment.

Returning to the present, Jack addressed the Doctor. "Thank you again for letting me go over these plans with you, Doctor."

"Not at all, Jack. It was a pleasure. Though if you'll excuse me, I must return to my work." Dr. Finklestein rolled back to another workbench. "This is just a side project, but the mechanism is proving more complicated than I anticipated."

"What are you working on?"

"A small device for Will," the Doctor replied. "She approached me with the idea and I reluctantly took it on. I'd tell you about it, my boy, but she's asked I keep it a surprise."

"I understand, Doctor. Well, I'll be off now." Jack stepped out of the laboratory. He was thankful to be heading home now. Planning for Halloween was enough, but this small celebration for St. Patrick's day was rather taxing. Now all Jack wanted was to go home and spend a relaxing evening with Sally and Zero.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that Jack did not pay attention to where he was going.

"Oof!"

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry. I didn't see you there," Jack apologized.

"Never you mind, Jack," Jewel said. "It was my own fault for standing so close to the door. I was just waiting to see if the Doctor was available."

"Well, I'm finished but he seemed preoccupied with a project for Will."

"Oh, so he is working on it. She'll be glad to hear of that."

"She? You mean Will is here?" Jack looked outside to see it was dusk. "I would've thought she'd gone home hours ago."

"Oh, she stopped by to see how her project is coming," Jewel explained. "It's quite the neat little gadget. Anyway, she's waiting in the exam room. I'll just see if the Doctor will see her."

"Very well. Have a pleasant evening then." They said their goodbyes before Jewel disappeared into the lab. Meanwhile, Jack thought he would stop by the exam room to ask Will about the wedding plans. He was curious to find out what she and Sally had been discussing all day. And perhaps he might convince her to tell him more about this "project" of hers.

Jack walked down the ramp until he reached the examination room. He noticed he door was ajar and decided knock before entering.

"Okay, nearly there. I just need to do your chest and neck, then I'll be done."

Jack paused. He knew that was Will's voice, but he was sure Jewel had said she was alone. He pressed his boney frame close to the door and peered inside. There was Will, standing in front of the examination table with her hand in a jar of salve. On the table sat a very bandaged Puck. The boy was covered in an array of dressings. Gauze wrapped along both arms and around his waist and wings, while a very large bandage was taped to his left cheek. He sat very still as Will reached out her hand to run salve over some red scratch marks on his chest. His body quivered slightly at her touch, but his face remained looking down.

"How in the world did this happen?" Jack whispered to himself. He listened closer as Will added more bandaging and moved to dress a different wound on Puck's chest.

"See? Not so bad," she asked, slowly rubbing the salve deep into the wound. She looked to his neck, the nasty bite appearing even worse. "Though you may have to keep an eye on this one. I'd have the Doc check it out in case you need any antibiotics."

Puck did not say a word.

Will finished placing the dressing on the wound before preparing to work on the last injury. Puck had been quiet the entire time. Not that she minded, but she was worried their little fight might have hurt his feelings. She had been pretty hard on him.

"Hey, sorry about jabbing you earlier," Will said. "I was just frustrated and I took it out on you."

Puck raised his head, finally meeting her eyes. "No. I'm the one who should apologize," he said. "You were trying to help and I snapped. It's my fault."

"We both lost it," Will corrected. She grabbed the last cotton ball and doused it with iodine. Knowing this was going to be the most tender, Will got on the bed next to Puck and sat on her knees to reach his neck. Puck moved his wing back to give her better access. She went slow, brushing the edge of the wound before moving deeper.

Puck hissed from the pain but he remained still. When she finished with the iodine, Will moved to grab the salve. Puck beat her to it by grabbing the table and pulling it closer. She thanked him and scooped a small clump of salve from the jar before turning back to Puck's neck. The wound was still wet from the iodine and was bleeding again. She grabbed more cotton balls and dabbed the wound, blowing on the area to help the iodine dry faster. When she thought it was dry enough, she began massaging the salve into the wound.

"You sure you don't want to be a nurse?" Puck asked, though he struggled to talk while Will worked. "You'd be really good." He glanced over at her.

"Please," Will scoffed. "I'm a wuss when it comes to pain. Sure, I can handle a sliced finger, but surgery and wounds with protruding bones—no thank you!"

"Okay, point made." Things were quiet for a moment. Puck tapped his fingers on the bedside.

"Thanks again, for…you know. Back there, with the cat."

"I just don't understand why you were fighting with Hexxus," Will said as she placed a large piece of gauze over the wound. She overlapped four pieces of medical tape to keep it in place."I mean, I get bats are called flying rats, no offense—but you could have just changed and he'd leave you alone."

"He didn't catch me like some mouse. I went after him."

"What? Why?"

Puck sighed, turning his head away again. "I came by today to visit my uncles and I decided to stretch my wings. I was just listening around, not doing much else. Then I overheard some of the cats in the alley. I remembered you talked about a cat named Hexxus and I wanted to see if that was him. I checked it out and sure enough, there he was. He was saying something to the others, and I was gonna leave them alone, until your name came up."

"Me?"

"Yeah, though he preferred calling you his kitten…" Pucks eyes sharpened and his hand curled into a fist. "He should have kept his mouth shut."

Will closed the cabinet. "Look, whatever he said, it–"

"I don't even want to repeat the vile things that sick excuse for a cat said!" Puck slammed his fist down on the table, knocking it over. Will rushed to pick it up as Puck stood. He began pacing the room, his wings folded behind him so they would not drag on the ground.

"I know tomcats have a reputation, but the things he said, and the way the others were laughing and adding to it. I just flew down and told him to shut his mouth. That's when he and I got into it. He called me things and told me to take a hike—and I'm abridging a lot, but one thing lead to another, and that's when you came on the scene."

Puck finally stopped by the window. His hands pressed against his sides. Will walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. Puck did not move.

"Look… You shouldn't care about what some cat says, or anyone else," Will said, trying to get Puck to look at her. "You can't let things like that get to you."

"You didn't hear what he said."

"Does it matter…" Will asked, getting annoyed. "He's a cat. An egotistical perv, but he's still a cat. And I'm human. Why should I care what he says?"

"But…"

"No buts. You can't let someone else's words get to you like that. You need to let it pass over you, like a river over stone. Understand?"

"So the next time I hear trash like Hexxus shooting off his mouth, calling someone I care about a nice piece of tail, like she's his personal property; I should just ignore it?" Puck turned to face her, his eyes hardening. "Sorry, but that's not going to happen."

Will's blue eyes widened. She was at a loss for words. Puck stared back at her for a moment. Then he sighed and walked back toward the bed, leaving Will to stare after him. Puck sat down, refusing to look at her.

"You better get going," he said. "You don't want to keep the Doctor waiting."

"Right…" Will cleaned up the mess. She was placing things on the table when Puck spoke again.

"It's not just what he said this time. It's what happened the first time."

"You've had other tiffs with cats in back alleys?" Will joked.

"No. I'm talking about when you were a cat. You thought he was helping you, but then he tried to force himself on you and chased you all throughout town. Damnit Will, he tried it rape you!"

_WHAT?! _Jack grit his teeth together to keep the outburst from shooting from his mouth, giving away his position. He was trying very hard not to react, but it was becoming increasingly difficult at _this_ new bit of information. He recalled the unfortunate incident with the transformation cookies. He had felt terrible about what Will had been put through—though not completely when he learned she was the blonde cat who had caused the "mishap" in the work tent.

However, to hear Will had nearly been violated, and by someone in his town! It was almost as appalling as when Sally told him what Oogie Boogie had done to her in his lair. The very thought of that repulsive creature touching his beloved set Jack's marrow on fire. Now to hear one of his other friends had a similar, if not more frightening experience… The sound of wood splintering drew Jack's attention. He looked down and saw flames flicking from his wrists, slowing beginning to char the door.

Jack tried to control his anger. He would deal with that bastard cat later. Right now, he needed to listen or he might miss a crucial part of the story. Especially if it involved more crimes against that miserable feline.

Back in the examination room, Will just shook her head. "That was a year ago, and Zero saved me, remember?" she argued. Though in her mind, she thought, _I'm surprised he even remembers me telling him that story._

"I know, and I have thanked Zero many times since then," Puck said. "My uncles do insist I visit more, and each time I see Zero, I reward him with a special treat from the Witch Shop. I don't even want to think what might have happened if that dog hadn't intervened. And even after Zero's warning, that lewd grimalkin still has the _audacity_ to flirt with you! Twice!"

"I'd hardly call it flirting," Will muttered. "He just recognized me today. Moronic fur ball."

"He still did it! Getting close to you, purring at you. It still burns me to think that how you trusted him to help you, and he used that to his advantage. Not even I could earn your trust like that, and I spent months planning our date and doing everything I could think of to get you to like me."

"I hardly think that's the– Wait a minute…" Will pointed straight at his face. "Are you jealous?!"

"What? N-No I'm not."

Outside, Jack had to clap a hand over his mouth. Now things were really starting to get interesting. _I'm beginning to see the appeal Will has for this spying thing_, he thought with a wicked grin.

"You _are_, you're totally jealous!" Will said with a half laugh. "And I thought you were stupid for picking a fight. Now you're jealous over a cat."

Puck grumbled, refusing to look at her while being taunted. He crossed his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes, though it did not prevent the faint red on his tanned cheeks.

"Heimdall's eyeballs, you're such an idiot!" Will said. "Puck, he's a cat. A perverted one, but still a cat. What the heck makes you think I would ever take interest?"

Puck cracked open one silver eye at her. "You seemed quite taken with me when we first met," he retorted with a pout.

Will rolled her eyes. "Big difference, Sherlock. You were a pleasant little bat I thought was cute. Like, little baby animal cute. Hexxus was the only one I thought I could communicate with at the time. Again, for the hundredth time, he is a _cat_! I'm a human girl. Nothing would've happened."

"Not if Hexxus had anything to say about it… He could have used some catnip, or something else."

"Who's side are you on?" Will argued. "Can't you understand. Nothing happened, and nothing ever will. Get it?"

Puck tried to argue but he could not think of any else he could use. Will just laughed.

"Still jealous?" she teased. A pillow was chucked right at her face.

"Oh shush." Puck smirked.

Will removed the pillow, smiling slyly. "On another day, this would mean war," she said, taking hold of the pillow and rising to her feet. "However, seeing as you've already endured injuries, I will spare you. This time."

"Why thank you, fair maiden." Puck bowed.

"Okay, playtime's over. I really need to see Finklestein and you need to go rest."

"Until next we meet."

"Sure thing." Will tossed the pillow back on the bed and began making her way toward the door.

Seeing this, Jack stepped aside to avoid being spotted. Though he remained close enough to watch for the moment Will left. This was a prime opportunity to elicit some well deserved payback on the young girl.

However, just before she reached the door, Will paused. Her finger rested against the door handle. Taking a breath, Will turned around and walked back toward the bed.

Puck, not even having a chance to stand and retrieve his shirt, looked at her with a puzzled expression. He wanted to ask what she was doing, but then Will stood between his legs so she was right in front of him. She looked down to the side, and nervously began twisting one hand over her ring finger. There was also a faint but visible blush on her cheeks.

"Will?"

"Okay, I know I said fighting Hexxus was incredibly stupid, and it was, but…" Her eyes finally met his and her voice softened, giving him a small smile. "It was also sweet of you, defending me like that. So… I just wanted to say, thank you."

Will bit her bottom lip nervously. Then, without warning, she leaned forward and gently kissed Puck's uninjured cheek.

"EEEH?!" Puck stared after her, eyes wide with shock.

With a little giggle, Will gave him a wink and hurried out the door. She shut it behind her. "Well, that'll throw him for a bit," she said aloud. "Now, better go see how the mad scientist is doing."

"My, my. I sure wasn't expecting that."

"Aaaah!" Will spun around to se Jack leaning against the wall, his long arms crossed over his chest and one leg passed against the wall. He had the same Cheshire grin plastered over his skeletal lips Will herself had given to the Pumpkin King a thousand times before.

Jack chuckled. "What's that phrase you like to use? What goes around comes around."

Will glared up at him. She took only one step forward, pointing a finger at him. "Not one word, Jack. Not _one_ word!"

**XXX**

**AN:** I wasn't sure about continuing with Sally's little stories. If you like, I would consider doing a mini series or more one shots like _Moonstruck_ and _Light Up The Night_, but only if enough people really want them. Let me know in the comments!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Don't Kiss and Tell**

_St. Patrick's Day…_

Sally stood before the mirror, checking to make sure there were no snags or wrinkles in her new baby doll dress. The material was a green so dark it appeared black with a shamrock pattern and a green band around the waist. Will had gotten the material from her work so that Sally could have something special to wear for the St. Patrick's Day party. Satisfied with her work, she then turned to the box on her dresser.

Inside contained a variety of little knickknacks made by herself and the witches. They were just little accessories: ribbons, hats, necklaces, and pins. All were made in black, green, and gold. They were for anyone unable to come up with something green to wear to the party. Sally remembered the fuss from the year before. Odd how not wearing a specific color could lead to so much trouble. Recalling the events of last year reminded Sally of another problem. She reminded herself to check the kitchen for the carefully hidden punch bowl in the icebox. Jack had assured everyone that Lock, Shock, and Barrel would not cause another scene, but Sally wanted a backup plan in case those little tricksters tried any other pranks.

Sally reached into the box and pulled out one of the ribbons. _Just one more check before passing them out_, she thought. It was important that the accessories held up for the whole evening. She did not want any of them coming apart.

There was a knock at the door. Setting the ribbon back into the box, Sally hurried downstairs. She was running to the front entrance, when she paused. The knocking was coming from the hall closet. Puzzled, she reached for the handle and opened the door.

"Knock knock! Surprise!" Al yelled in excitement as Sally opened the door.

"Oh!" To say Sally was surprised was an understatement. She was used to the young girl's boisterous personality, but Sally had not been prepared for this. Al had donned a bright green fitted suit jacket with gold and white accents. A shamrock printed blouse lay underneath and was complemented by an Irish flag patterned tie. What really topped her outfit off wasn't the shamrock printed pants, or the Lincoln style top hat resting on her head, but the fact that her face was painted solid green with gold around her eyes.

"Happy St. Patrick's Day, me love," Al said with a bright smile.

"Hello Al," Sally greeted, stepping out of Al's way. "You certainty take St. Patrick's Day seriously."

"Oh aye, I do," Al said with what appeared to be an Irish accent. "Both me grans came from Ireland, so tis be border a sin not to celebrate."

"Oh, I see. So I take it then you celebrate many of the traditions of this holiday?"

"Oh aye!"

"Now if only she'd help bring in the supplies."

Sally and Al turned to see Will trying to move through the door. She had a large box in hand, and a strange bag on her back. It was a large circle with white and blue stripes and a large white star at the center. Looking more closely, Sally was also surprised to see Will was not wearing any green. Instead, she wore a collared shirt of two different shades of blue, khaki pants, and bright blue shoes. She glared at Al as she moved inside.

"Thanks for helping me carry _your_ stuff, Alice!"

"Twas nothin' love," Al replied with a cheeky grin. "I'd had helped a fellow Irishman if only I could tell by the green color that they wore…"

"You pinch me one more time and I toss this box right out the tower window," Will warned.

"I've only done it fifteen times," Al said. She placed her hands on her hips and glared back. "At least let me get another five for your birthday, since it's your fault we still haven't celebrated yet."

"Don't blame me for a busy schedule," Will retorted, walking into the kitchen. She set the box down before rejoining the group. "Between work and school, does it really matter?"

"It was your birthday, Will?" Sally asked.

"Today actually," Will replied. "I'm a Shamrock Kid and Al is a New Year's baby."

"Both celebrations marked by lots of alcohol and bawdy singing," Al said with a sigh in her voice. "Speakin' of, ye got any whiskey fair lass?"

"Hey, you're only twenty and the drinking limit is twenty-one," Will reminded.

Al stuck out her tongue. "Party pooper. No cake for you."

"Why don't you head down to the square and see if anyone's not wearing green."

"Oh aye I be off to go huntin' for those blackguards, but what about the guys?"

"Puck said he and Zack would be along after their shift."

"Fantastic!" Al then eagerly ran out the door cackling with such volume that she near rivaled the witches.

"Oh dear, I guess I should have passed out these accessories earlier," Sally said.

"Don't worry about it. Someone will probably scare Al before she has a chance."

"I'm sure that's true. By the way, why aren't you wearing any green, Will?" Sally asked.

Will wrinkled her nose. "I was scheduled to work the morning shift. No fun things like wearing green garb unless they're under the work clothes, and nothing too extravagant like coloring hair and face paint."

"Do you tend to get as enthusiastic as Al?"

"I'd like to think I'm more toned down," Will said. "Which reminds me, is it okay if I change here? I want to avoid anymore pinching today."

"Oh, please, go right ahead. The bathroom…"

"I remember where it is," Will said. "I did live here for two months, and I visit almost every week for wedding planing."

"Oh, right." Sally laughed as Will made her way to the back of the house. While she changed, Sally went into the kitchen. She wanted to see what kinds of things Will and Al were contributing to the party. Opening it, Sally found some green napkins and plates, and what looked like some of Will's baking confections. There were also some shamrock confetti, plastic beer mugs, three bags of chocolate coins, and a few green plastic cauldrons, along with an apron that said, "Kiss Me I'm Irish." The final item in the box was oddly a smaller white box. Taking it out carefully, Sally opened the lid to find a cake inside. There was chocolate frosting and it was decorated with green icing to form shamrocks around a message that read, "Happy Birthday Will." Sally was just closing the lid again to place it in the icebox for later when an odd sound caught her ear.

Looking around, Sally finally located the source coming from the box. She dug around inside before pulling out a buzzing rectangular box.

"Oh, Will's phone." Sally was about to take it to her when a message appeared on the screen.

_Just wanted to confirm we're still on for Friday. If yes, I'll meet you at the theater at eight._

"That's odd…"

"What's odd?" Sally turned around as Will walked into the kitchen. "Sorry, I think I dropped my makeup bag around here. You seen it? It's a little black bag-like thing."

Sally held out the phone. "No, I haven't, but I found this in your box," she said.

"Oh, thanks. I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost this again." Will took the phone and placed it in her pocket. "Hope you don't mind, but I set my backpack in the spare room. Didn't want anyone tripping on it."

"That's fine, but Will…" Sally asked, not sure how to go about the question. "Who are you meeting on Friday?"

Will froze, her eyes looking around nervously. "W-What are you talking about?" Will laughed.

"On your phone." Sally pointed to it. "Someone was asking you about plans to meet at the theater at eight."

"Oh, uh, that. Well, I…" Will started to stutter. She began chewing her lip and nervously played with her phone. "It-It's nothing, really. That's all you saw?"

"Oh, I would never invade you're privacy," Sally assured. "I only saw the message on the screen. But are you alright? You seem rather nervous."

"What? Me, n-nervous? Psh! That-That's crazy." Will chuckled. "I mean, why-why would I be nervous? I got nothing to hide."

But Sally was not buying the girl's story. Instead, she walked over to Will's side and looked closely at the girl. She stood at least a head taller than Will, normally requiring Will to look up. But Will kept her eyes down, looking anywhere but at Sally. Not only that, but Will's cheeks seemed to be turning a soft pink and she was still nervously chewing her bottom lip. For a moment, Sally puzzled over what could possibly be making her friend so anxious. A message from a friend would not cause this type of reaction, unless… Sally's eyes widen and her hands flew to her mouth. "Will!"

"What?" The two stared at each other for a moment. Sally lowered her hands, revealing a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Will," she asked, "can it be? Do you possibly…"

Will caught on to what Sally was hinting at and vigorously shook her head. "No, no, it's not what you think," she protested. "It's not!"

"Will, I am pretty sure…"

"Don't say it!"

"Will, I know that look anywhere. I've had it many times. You are not fooling anyone."

"Seriously, it's not what you think!" Will huffed and turned around. "I need to finish getting ready. My makeup bag must have fallen out of my backpack."

Will moved out of the kitchen, but Sally was not letting her evade so easily. She followed Will into the living room just as Will was picking up a small black case from under the coffin table.

"Will."

"We ended this discussion," Will groaned, trying to escape to the bathroom. However, Sally blocked her path. "Please move."

"But it's nothing to be ashamed about," Sally said, ignoring her friend's protests. "Besides, I seem to recall you questioning me about this particular topic. I'm only returning the favor."

"Sally, I already told you, it's nothing like that."

"I think you're lying." Sally's eyes narrowed and her grin picked up on one side. From Will's perspective the rag doll appeared to be mimicking her skeletal fiancé with this menacing look. Will started to back up, but Sally followed.

"That agitated look in your eyes," Sally said.

"W-What look?"

"That quickening of your breath and heartbeat."

"I just want to get ready. You don't want Jack to come looking for us, right?"

"Oh, that reminds me!" Sally said, her voice practically in a purr. "Jack would just die to know about your little meeting with this friend."

Will shrieked. "NO WAY!"

"Then tell me."

"I can't!"

"One way or another, I will find out." Sally giggled. She really was beginning to sound like Jack about now. She did her best impression of her beloved's skeletal grin. "Won't you share with Miss Sally what's going on in your head, my little friend?"

"Gah! Alright, enough with the interrogation. Okay, yes, I have a date! There! Happy?!"

Sally smile increased tenfold. She cried out with joy and wrapped her arms around Will in a tight embrace. "Oh Will, this is so exciting. Why would you be so nervous about this?" she asked.

"Shh! Keep it down," Will said, pulling free of Sally's arms. "The walls have ears you know. I can't have anyone else finding out about it."

"But why? I'm sure your friends would be delighted–"

"You don't understand. Al and Kat have always been super boy crazy, but me…" Will walked over to the window and stared out. "Whenever there's even a mention of a guy being interested in me, they go off in a frenzy and start making wild assumptions. I can't tell you how many jibs Al makes, or the numerous blind dates Kat has tried setting me up on. This time I want to make sure this is going somewhere before making a big deal about it. I mean, I've only known the guy for a couple months."

Sally followed until she stood behind her, giving Will her space. "I think I understand. But I am curious. Who is this boy?"

Will turned around. "Oh no! That is classified, Sally. Like I said, I am not saying anything else until I know there is something there. It's shocking enough that I even _like_ a guy, especially this one."

"Well, it seems a bit strange, but I will respect your privacy, Will," Sally said. She walked over, nervously twiddling her hands together. "Can I at least ask how you feel about him."

Will was quiet for a moment. "Well… I guess that's fair. After all, I made you spill your guts about your feelings for Jack." They both laughed. "Okay, I'll talk but I'm not saying his name, or how we met, and you absolutely cannot tell anyone else about what is about to be said, got it?"

"Completely." Though in the back of her mind, Sally knew she would need to tell Jack. They had both promised Psyche that they would try to find a way to help Cupid. However, with Will being interested in a boy, it was better to let Jack know in case he had an idea to set up her and the young vampire.

"Well, here goes everything," Will began. "This guy, he's probably one of the sweetest guys I've ever meet. Okay, he annoyed me to no ends at first, but lately we've gotten to know each other really well. It turns out he volunteers down at the hospital and hangs out in the children's ward. He entertains them and gives them encouragement about while they're recovering."

"My, this boy sounds quite charming," Sally said.

"He really is, like a modern-day prince. And we surprisingly have a lot of things in common. Movies, books, and he likes writing. I've read some of his stuff and was thoroughly impressed."

"Wow! Sounds like you really like this boy."

"Yeah, I guess I do…" Will's eyes seem to look off somewhere as a soft smile graved her lips. Sally grinned, knowing that look far too well. Will was thinking about this boy.

"And to think. All it took was a little first aid."

Now this bit of information caught Sally's attention. "First aid?" she repeated.

Will nodded. "Yeah, I had to do a little patchwork. The guy may act like a gentleman, but he likes to show off. Actually, I was just off to a, lets call it an appointment, when who should be there but Mr. Charmer. The guy does this idiotic thing to impress me, only to end up with me breaking out the medical tape."

_Medical tap?_ Sally thought. _Wait, Jack told me a few weeks ago that he had caught Will and Puck alone at Dr. Finklestein's lab. And from everything she's telling me about "appointments" and "injuries," then could it be…_

"So anyway,"Will continued, "I leave him to go to my appointment, and on my way home he comes up with a new injury that has to have my undivided attention, and while I'm doing that, he asks me out."

"And you agreed?"

"Not at first. I mean, I thought he was kidding around, but then he got this serious look and told me he wanted to go out with me. And then… I don't know how to describe it. It felt like something in me told me to go for it. I thought Cupid had snuck in and shot me, but this didn't feel forced. So, taking a chance, I told him I'd have coffee with him and see how things went from there."

"Coffee?"

"Hey, I wanted to test to see if he was serious," Will said. "Remember back when I first met you for wedding plans in February?"

"I remember. I spent most of the time telling you about my dates with Jack."

"Well, remember when you got to the one about your first Valentine's together, and then you asked me about Valentine's Day experience?"

"I think so, but what does that have to do with your current situation?" Sally asked.

"Well, I told you that on Valentine's Day I had to go on a forced date with Puck, right." Sally nodded her head. "And we only ended up having a good time after we agreed to not treat it like a date."

"I remember that."

"Well, that's what this coffee date was," Will explained. "You see, I wanted to meet him again in a casual setting with no dating pressure."

"I see."

"So, we had coffee and by the end, I realized this was the real thing. So, I asked him out. We've been dating almost two weeks now."

If Sally had still been drinking her tea, she would have either spit it out or been choking on it. "_You_ asked _him_ out?"

"Yeah, I asked him. It's the modern age, girls ask guys out now." Will laughed. "Didn't you ever ask Jack out on a date?"

"Well, no."

"Dang!" Will laughed harder. "Actually, I don't think I could picture you asking Jack out. I bet he'd fall apart on the spot if you had."

"It is a little funny to imagine," Sally admitted. "Though I must say, I am surprised you kept this a secret for two weeks. How have you managed to hide this from your friends?"

"Not easy, and if Al asks, I am called into cover a shift at work," Will said. "In any case, I appreciate you agreeing not to tell anyone about this. It feels good to finally tell someone."

Sally smiled and placed her hand over Will's. "I'm happy you felt you could trust me with this," she said. "You won't have to worry. When you're ready, I would like to meet this young man you're so taken with."

"Well, I think it'll take a couple months before I bring him to Halloween Town," Will joked. "Heck, my parents don't even know I travel between worlds. I think they'd be better to handle me telling them I eloped and they're gonna be grandparents."

"Will!"

"Gotcha!" Will smiled before standing up. "Well, we better get moving before Al goes overboard with the pinching. I'll finish putting on my stuff and help you carry this junk down to the party."

"Thank you, Will."

Will was about to walk away when she paused. "Hey, Sally? Can I asked you a question?"

"Sure. Do you need something?"

"I was just wondering…" Will held up a tiny black bag, one eyebrow raised as she spoke. "Does the fabric on your face stain?"

**XXX**

There was a lot of commotion going on in the Town Square. The sun was down, putting ever creature in a frightful mood. All the creatures there were in odd attires of black and green, letting themselves become drunk on the excitement of the evening. The tables were filled with all kinds of delicacies in honor of the special holiday. For once, no food needed a Halloween spin on it. There was Cornbeef and cabbage, Shepard's pie, colcannon, watercress soup, bangers and mash, beef stew, purple cabbage and pecan salad, fried cabbage and sausage, and stuffed cabbage.

Jack himself was conversing with the Mayor by a large bowl of Black Pudding. He wore his usual pinstripe suit, but with black and green stripes, and his bat bow tie had been replaced with a special shamrock one. The Mayor seemed to only wear an exact replica of his suit, but entirely green. Even his spider had not escaped being painted a bright chartreuse.

"Jack, I have to say, things are going much better than last year," the Mayor complimented.

"Yes, everything is going according to plan." Jack chuckled. "Luckily for us, Al has volunteered to keep Lock, Shock, and Barrel entertained this evening."

Both looked up in time to see Al juggling her plastic mugs full of a strange drink Al called butterbeer. They seemed to be fascinated and kept tossing mugs into her loop.

"I must admit, it is rather impressive," Jack said, watching the four of them. "I wonder how she manages to…"

"Hey party people!"

"Oh, that must be young Will," the Mayor said, recognizing her voice. He turned around but Jack noticed the Mayor's head did a complete spin.

"Everything alright, Mayor?" Jack asked. He received no reply and turned to search for whatever it was that had upset the Halloween official. What his eye sockets landed on nearly caused Jack to lose his jaw.

Both Will and Sally were coming up to them. Will was wearing green shorts and green tank-top with a strange image of four characters wearing colorful masks falling out of the pocket. She had blue shoes, but she also had long striped green socks that reached up to her knees. Will had also done her hair up in two pigtails with the ends painted a deep green. Her face had been painted with green glitter eyeshadow, and three shamrocks painted along her left eye. But it was the tall figure on Will's right that had Jack in a trance. Sally wore her newest dress creation—one he personally admired her in this morning—and now her long red hair was in a beautiful braid. But it was her face that really caught Jack by surprise. His Sally, whom always had the most lovely face, had her face painted as well, her design making her look like a St. Patricks day sugar skull. Jack felt his phantom heart racing as the two ladies approached, unable to take his eyes away from Sally.

Seeing his reaction, Will laughed and nudged Sally's arm. "What I tell you, Sally. Jack is utterly speechless."

"Oh dear, you were right, Will," Sally said. She walked up to Jack and placed a hand on his arm. "Do you like it, Jack? If you don't, I can wash it off."

At the sound of her voice, Jack shook himself from his thoughts. "Oh no, it's not that I don't like it," he said. "I just, well, I… I wasn't expecting this. You always look so beautiful, but now- not in a bad way! I just mean that, you-you look so… Like a …and you, wow! I meant, you look so, so… Wow!"

Sally giggled and kissed her flustered fiancé's cheek. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it, Jack."

"Hey Sally, try not to kiss him all night," Will teased. "I don't have enough black paint." Will pointed to Jack indicating the large black lipstick mark adorning his bone-white cheek.

Sally giggled. "Oops! Sorry."

"N-Not to worry," Jack said. He started to reach for the handkerchief in his pocket when Will stopped him.

"I can fix that. Lean down here a sec, Jack." Jack shrugged and did as Will asked. When he was eye level with her, Will took out a green glittery pencil and traced around Sally's lipstick mark. "There, now it works," she said.

"What's up, chickens?" Al asked, joining the group. Her eyes spotted Jack's cheek and she stifled a giggle for a few moments before bursting into gut busting laughter. "Oooh Jack! Looks like you got kissed by a black-lipped leprechaun. That'll keep you lucky, if you know what I mean." She wagged her eyebrows and laughed even harder.

"What's so funny?" Shock asked. She, Lock and Barrel had followed Al, though one look at the infamously frightening Pumpkin King's face, and they so joined in the laughter.

"Ooo! Such a scary King!" Shock taunted.

"Ha! Scary? Hardly," Lock added, nudging the young witching in her side before pointing at Jack. "Who's gonna be scared of that!"

"Haha! Jack's totally whipped!" Barrel laughed so hard he fell on his back, his stubby legs licking the air. Only adding to the mischief, Al made a loud whip cracking noise.

Jack was not finding it as funny. However, he stood straight to his full height and placed his hands behind his back. He kept his voice calm and even when he spoke. "Laugh all you want, children, but I'll have you know that someday soon you three will find yourselves in a similar position."

"What are you talking about?" Barrel asked.

"Why my boy, one day you and Lock will become young men and find wearing a token of your lady's affection quite appealing," Jack explained.. Then he turned to Shock. "And you, young lady, will be quite eager to bestow such a gift on the young man you choose. Perhaps, maybe even one of these strapping boys might become your suitor?"

"Oh gross!" Shock gagged. Barrel put his hands over his ears and started shouting. Lock pretended to throw up.

"I think I've made my point," Jack said. He watched as the children ran off to terrorize the rest of the party.

Meanwhile, Al was roaring in laughter. She nearly fell over but clutched Will's shoulder, and doubled over, gasping for air. "This is too much!" she choked out, pretending to wipe away a tear. "I don't know which is funnier: imagining one of those two booger brains with this little witch, or the fact that Jack is sassing them with a kiss right on his cheek."

Jack smirked. "A little envious, Alice? I assume you would do the same after the way you chased after him New Years Eve, Zackary would proudly be sporting his own lipstick mark as well. Though, I doubt merely the boy's cheek would have a green mark should you catch him this time."

Al gaped like a fish while Jack leaned down so he was eye level with the girl, a wicked smile along his boney lips. "But then that's none of my business now, is it?"

"Ooo! Burn!" Will laughed. She sidestepped and pointed with both her hands at Al. "You got spanked!"

Al turned and glared daggers at Will. "Way to pull a Mikey there Willa," she said, then stuck her tongue out.

"Lighten up, it's a party," Will said, turning to Jack. "Besides, I'd rather have Al pester you about your ADOS than her getting on my case today."

"What's ADOS?" Sally asked.

"Well, normally, Al and I refer to is as Attention-Deficit Ooo! Shiny!" Will explained. "But in Jack's case, it stands for, Attention-Deficit Ooo! Sally!"

"Golly, you are on a roll today, little miss." Al giggled, lightly punching Will's arm.

"What's going on?" Everyone turned around just as Zack threw his arm around Al's shoulders. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I didn't know today was beat up Will day."

"She's being feisty!" Al said, curling under his arm even more.

"Nice seeing you too, Zack-Attack," Will said.

"What's up Birthday Girl? Getting feisty in your old age?" Zack asked with a teasing smile.

"Hey, lay off," Will whined. "You're the one robbing the cradle, gramps. Al is two years younger than you."

"It's your birthday, Will?" Jack asked. "I didn't know you were born on a holiday."

"You never asked. Though, I'd rather not make a big deal about it. Let's just enjoy the party, okay everyone?"

"Not make it a big deal?!" Al shrieked. "You only turn one million and twenty years once!"

"Now sweetheart, be nice to the old bat," Zack said, nuzzling the side of her face. "Remember what _we_ did for your birthday?" Though her face was covered in green paint, Al's ears and neck flushed a bright red.

Will groaned. "Cool it, Lovebirds," she said. "We are here for a St. Paddy's party."

"Now Will, I don't see the harm in celebrating your birthday as well," the Mayor said. "Besides, it'll give the citizens a chance to give you a few birthday scares."

"Oh goodie. Center of attention and several bouts of a heart attack on the same day? When can we start?" Will laughed in spite of her dismay. "At least scaring is more fun than pinching."

"Well, I can _easily_ continue my barrage for every piece of clothing that isn't green on your person with a pinch," Al said with an evil smirk. "And I still owe you some pinches too, Party Pooper."

"No! I'm agreeing to party. Go pinch your boyfriend."

"I have no objections to that," Zack said, wagging his eyebrows. "Awkward silence… Let's get this party started!"

"Splendid!" Jack exclaimed. While the others would enjoy the party, he and the Mayor would figure out how to incorporate a birthday celebration in the festivities. Just as he was about to walk away, Jack noticed Will whispering to Sally. He watched them smile and embrace one another before Will raced off to join her friends.

Curious, Jack walked over to Sally, placing his hand on the small of her back. "What was all that about?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing."

"I hardly call that nothing. You're not hiding anything from me, are you Sally?"

"Well, no, not exactly…"

"Sally," Jack teased. "Now I know something is up. You're acting rather coy. What exactly were you and Will discussing just now?"

Sally knew she promised Will she would not tell, but she also could not lie to Jack. "She was just thanking me," she explained. "We had a little talk earlier and she asked I not say anything about it to anyone." She quickly turned and gave Jack a pointed look. "And no, you may not ask what about. It's between Will and I, and I promised her complete confidentiality."

Jack normally respected someone's privacy, but his natural curiosity was getting the better of him at the moment. He pouted his lower lip, making Sally giggle. "Now that's not fair. I can't help but be curious, especially knowing my Sally has a special secret. Won't you tell me, please?"

"Sorry, but it's not my secret to tell." Sally kissed his cheek. "Will is nervous about it so she asked me not to say anything. It's nothing terrible, but don't ask her about it. Just enjoy the party and don't let this get to you, alright?"

"Very well, I guess I'll let it to for now." Jack sighed. "It will probably drive me crazy, but I'll try not to let it become an obsession."

"I'm glad to hear that. For a moment, I was worried."

"Although…" Jack wrapped both his arms around Sally's waist. "I will need something to occupy my mind. You know me, my clever Sally. Once I get an idea, I don't stop until I find the answer."

"Oh dear," Sally said, playing along. She gently toyed with his tie, not looking at him for fear of breaking character. "Whatever should we do about that?"

"I can think of a few things." He pulled her closer and toyed with the stitching on the side of her neck. "Will did say she had extra paint, right? I would hate to undo all her hard word and ruin your pretty makeup. You really do look lovely, my spooky sugar skull."

"You're so sweet. I'm glad you like it, but as for my makeup, I guess we'll just have to be careful then, won't we?" Sally teased and kissed the tip of his nose. "Hmm… I have a feeling you might need more of that green liner."

A shiver went down Jack's spine. "Everyone is busy. We could sneak off to the pumpkin patch for a spell…"

"Lead the way then, my Pumpkin King," Sally cooed. "Though we better hurry before someone spots us."

Jack felt his bones warm and it took all he had not to collapse in front of her. Instead, he moved one hand from Sally's waist to her arm and together they walked out of the square. Meanwhile, neither of them had noticed that three little trouble makers had been listening to their conversation.

"So, a certain overgrown bat has an embarrassing secret, huh?" Lock snickered. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Shock grinned. "It would be unfortunate should it get out," she said. "Remember last year? All those juicy secrets."

"All I remember is that horrible headache we had the next morning," Barrel muttered. "Besides, Jack and the Mayor have all that stuff locked up. How we supposed to get it?"

"Not all of it." Lock pointed to the buffet table. "The redhead brought a whole bunch," he said. "All we gotta do is make sure Blondie drinks until she's drunk and starts blabbing away."

"How do you know she's a blabber?" Lock argued. "Remember, the Mayor got drunk and he cried all night. And some of the others just passed out. Sally was the only one who talked all night, when she wasn't barfing."

"Duh! That's why we raid the Witch Shop," Lock said. "They have that potion that makes you tell the truth. We just slip that and the beer into Will's drink so everyone thinks she just got drunk. No one will suspect a thing."

"Hehehe! I'm in," Shock said.

"Me too," Barrel added, "but no way I'm drinking anything!"

**XXX**

**AN:** Hope you all like the new chapter. If anyone is curious about the girls St. Paddy's outfits, check out my deviantART page.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Well, get ready for a lot of fun (though I would like to apologize in advance if the translations are inaccurate; I used Google Translate). Music, dancing, and a whole lot of drinking. Of course, there's also the ex-Oogie's Boys have a fun little prank in mind. *evil laughter*

* * *

**Chapter 9: Kiss Me, I'm Irish**

The party was in full swing. There was music, food, and of course, some drinking. Everyone enjoyed the Budweiser that Al had brought to share, but there were a few—those that recalled the misadventures from last year's festivities—who were partaking in a nonalcoholic beverage. The witches had even volunteered to work the drink table to ensure no one got the beverages mixed up.

"Here you are, dear," Helgamine said, handing back Will's cup.

"Thanks." Will took a sip. "Mmm butterbeer! I'm surprised you were able to get the recipe. Though, this is better than the stuff I get at the candy store. I even like the added pumpkin flavor with the butterscotch."

"Well, when you brought us the bottle of this buttered beer to sample, it was quite simple for us to replicate," Zeldaborne said.

"Yes, though we had a few substitutions," Helgamine added.

"I noticed. How did you get it to turn into a swirl of black and green?"

"Can't reveal all out secrets, now can we?" Helgamine laughed.

"I guess you're right." Will waved goodbye before seeking out her friends. She could not locate Al through the crowds, or Jack and Sally, but she found Zack talking with Glenn by the fountain. "What goes on?" she asked.

"Ah, Will, good to see you," Glenn greeted. "Your friend was just asking me when the best night for a moonlit dinner is. I told him full moon gets anyone moonstruck, if you know what I mean." The wolf man growled and nudged Zack, smiling wickedly.

"Zackary, you wouldn't be cheating on my girl now, would you?" Will taunted.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Willa. For shame," Zack teased before giving her a wink.

"_I'm_ not the one who'll be jealous. Speaking of which, have you seen Al?" Will asked. She looked around but her redheaded friend was nowhere in sight. "I know she got frustrated when everyone showed up in green, but now I'm not so sure."

"She has been missing for a little bit," Zack replied, looking around once. "I'll start getting worried after a half hour or so."

"Don't worry, you two," Glenn encouraged. "Folks here are known for disappearing for a bit. Al will turn up eventually."

"Speaking of disappearing, I'm surprised no one's panicked that Jack's gone MIA. I know the Mayor went into a full-scale panic and organized a search party when he popped over to Christmas Town."

"Haha! That's no secret," Glenn said with a wink. "Clown saw him and Sally slip off toward the pumpkin patch some time ago. From the way he described how those two looked, I doubt we'll be seeing them for a while."

Zack chuckled. "Bone Daddy getting his game on."

Will laughed. "Just as long as Jack doesn't mess up her makeup too much. I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't have much paint left."

"Aww! Do you have enough to paint me?" Zack asked.

"I think you're covered." Will looked over Zack's outfit. His emerald green shirt was screen printed with a map of Ireland, while his jeans had a shamrock patch on the mid thigh. Along the patch, someone had stitched "Leprechauns must be this tall to drink with me."

"You look like you were dressed in Doc's idea of an Irish tourist."

"Oh, I don't know. I think Marty McFly had it worse. Zack looks more like he's about to get drunk at a pub."

"Puck!" Will shrieked and turned around just as the young vampire threw his arm around her shoulders. "What the heck? I thought you said you couldn't come because you had to work."

"They let me off early for good behavior."

"Sounds like you got off parole, pal." Zack chuckled, clapping a hand over Puck's shoulder. "Though, I get the feeling."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Puck said. "So, did I miss anything?"

"Not really. There's still a bunch of food and there are a few buzzed monsters," Will replied. "Well, you're here. You gonna grab a drink?"

"There's a shocker! Little Miss Will wanting a drink with the resident Blood Sucker? I never thought I'd see the day." Zack laughed as Will punched his shoulder. "But trust me on this, Willy, you do _not_ want this guy near any alcohol. Oh man! You should have seen him at this one party we had after work. He totally–"

"That will do, Zack," Puck interrupted. "I'd prefer you _never_ mentioning that unfortunate incident. Ever!"

"Don't blame me if you can't hold your liquor," Zack teased. "Only took one glass of tequila for you to get on top of the bar and start singing 'Sweet Home Alabama' while doing a strip tease."

Will burst out laughing. "Oh, please tell me you got that on video!"

Zack leaned towards her ear and whispered, "I'll e-mail it to you later." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey! I told you, Mister, birthday kisses are for your girlfriend only," Will said, laughing. "You want her beating you up?" Zack gave a very suggestive wink.

"Better back off, Zack, she may beat Al to it," Puck said.

"No, no, I got this," Will said, turning back to Zack. "Here's a news flash: the Mayor kindly told us that the drinking age here is twenty, and I distinctly saw two bottles in Al's hands before she slipped off. If Drunk Ally catches you, it's no skin off my nose what she does to you."

Zack's cheeky grin grew bigger. "Oh, I love Drunk Ally!" he said with a sly laugh.

"Even more than Drunk Puck?" Will laughed. "Oh, I so need to see that video. Now, when you say striptease, I do hope you prevented anyone from seeing his big bat wings. Or, did this start going from bottom to top?"

Zack's laugh grew harder. "You'll have to see for yourself," he said.

"Well, while you two talk about my embarrassing hour, I think I will help myself to the refreshment table. Perhaps I'll find some more civilized company." Puck left for the buffet table. He was just handed a drink when someone tapped his arm.

"I'm not in the mood, Will."

"Easy Puck, I didn't come over to tease you," Will said, leaning against the table. She swirled her drink, making the colors mix more. "And hey, it's nothing to get so worked up over. Everybody has an embarrassing drunk story. I got a million for Kat alone, and don't get me started on my brothers."

"What about you?"

"Remember, only twenty here. Even when Kat invited Al and me on her trip to Mexico, where the bar tender will give you anything as long as you can see over the counter; I still don't drink. But I'm sure when I turn twenty-one we will find out."

"Just don't go too crazy. It's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Again, one friend who drinks in Mexico and three older brothers. I know what happens."

They both laughed and walked back over to the party. Zack had joined Glenn, Davy and Ned for a game off bobbing for green pumpkins, and some of the other citizens were starting to set up for the parade. The band had even started playing, and some people broke off from the groups to dance. Will was tapping her foot along to the song.

"You want to dance?" Puck asked.

"Nope."

"You sure? You seem really into this song?"

"Yeah but its a couple's song," Will said. "I'll wait until things pick up more."

Puck set his cup on the the counter and turned so he was standing slightly in front of her. He held out his hand. "Come on, Will. It'll be fun."

Will raised an eyebrow and gave him a half smirk. "Puck, I once was dragged to a dance club by two high school friends, but no one told me it was couple dancing all night." She laughed dryly. "I turned down thirteen guys that night. You want to try asking again?"

Puck stepped back with his hands raised. "No ma'am. I know better than to force a lady," he said. He leaned agains the table and watched the others dance. "Seriously, _thirteen_ guys?"

"Haha, okay, it was twelve but one guy tried a second time," Will said. "Just don't bring it up around Al. She's still steamed over it."

"Still steamed over what?" a familiar voice asked.

Will and Puck turned to find Jack and Sally walking towards them. "Oh, just me turning down a dance," Will explained when they got closer. "And by that, I mean several different guys in one single evening."

"Now why would you do that?" Jack asked.

"Jack, not everyone enjoys dancing the way you do," Sally said. "Remember the first time you asked me to dance?"

"Do I? You were quite bashful about it." Jack chuckled. "Who knew despite your reluctance there was such a graceful dancer in you. My Sally is full of surprises."

"Jack!"

"Uh, you two want to sneak back into the pumpkin patch for a bit?" Will giggled. She saw the wide-eyed looks on her friends faces. "Kids, you're engaged," she added. "How many times do I have to remind you that jibs are part of the package?"

Sally blushed while Jack frowned. "I hardly think it's necessary that you continue," he said sternly. "And I would appreciate if you would not broadcast our business to everyone."

"Hey, I wasn't spying on you. Clown was the one who caught you lovebirds sneaking off. Gotta say, Jack, you might be loosing your stealthy touch, though you do have quite the lovely lady as a distraction."

"Will, go easy on him," Puck said. "He is a man in love, after all."

Will looked up at him pensively, a tiny smirk forming on her mouth. "You are Puck, right? Because I swear, if you're Cupid in a Puck disguise, I will pluck your wings right now." They all laughed. "Okay, okay. Sorry Jack but you do make it easy."

"She has a point," Sally said, taking Jack's hand. "Will isn't the only one to notice. Some of the other town's folk have made comments. Yesterday, Bertha, Carmen and I were talking about the wedding and Carmen suggested, well…" Sally leaned up and whispered in Jack's ear. He seemed fine at first, until his eyes widened so large Will thought they would crack his skull. He turned to Sally, who only giggled.

Will leaned closer to Puck. "I don't know what she said, but I have a feeling Carmen and Al would have _a lot_ to talk about."

"I don't doubt it," Puck whispered. "Say, that reminds me, are Al and Zack joining us Friday?"

"What? No way," Will said. She glanced at Jack and Sally, glad to see they were still otherwise occupied to notice them speaking before turning back to Puck. "It's just you and me, remember? Eight o'clock, and you better not be late."

"I would never keep a lady waiting." Puck winked.

Will laughed and playfully slapped Puck's chest. "You better not, Mr. Charmer, or you'll hear from me. You were the one who planned this."

"Of course. I'm just happy you said yes," he said. "I really am glad that you and I…"

"Tally ho, witches!"

There were several shouts as people moved out of the way. Will, Jack, Sally, and Puck all looked up to see non other than Al. The girl caused the source of the commotion as she sat on top of her great kelpie, Frank, as the beast went on a mad canter through the square. A partial tankard of beer was clutched in her hand, waving around wildly, while the other was tangled in Frank's reedlike mane. She was singing loudly and off key, and even Frank looked a bit tipsy.

"Am I imagining things, or is Al riding a kelpie?" Puck asked.

"Oh, I don't even want to know where she found that thing," Will said. She grabbed Puck's arm. "Come on. We need to find Zack and get those two under control before Al hurts herself."

The two ran off to find Zack. Sally was about to help when Jack stopped her. "Jack, we need to help them."

"Just a moment, Sally. Did you happen to overhead Will and Puck's conversation just now?"

"Jack, you know how I feel about eavesdropping."

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it," Jack said. He shook his head. "But that's beside the point. I overheard them talking about plans to meet Friday. Alone."

"That doesn't matter. You still shouldn't listen in on… Did you say they're meeting Friday?" she asked.

"Yes, this Friday at eight o'clock," Jack repeated. "I thought it strange, given we concluded that Will didn't care for Puck in the same way he did for her. Apparently, things seemed to have taken a turn; accommodating Psyche's request will be simpler than I thought."

Sally suddenly got a bright smile on her face and she threw her arms around Jack's neck. "Oh, my! Then that means… I can't believe this! It's wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

"Sally, what are you talking about?"

_Uh oh!_ Sally thought, her mind going from joy to panic. _I promised Will I wouldn't tell a soul about her secret, and here I am almost telling Jack._ She quickly released her hold on him and stepped back..

"O-Oh, nothing…"

"Nothing?" Jack inquired. "Funny, I recall earlier you said you had _nothing_ to talk about." He folded his arms behind his back, advancing on his fiancé with a predatory smile. "Your excitement wouldn't have anything to do with a certain secret you can't tell me about, would it my darling?"

"Now Jack," Sally said as she backed up, "I already told you, I'm not at liberty to tell you about that."

"Yes, you did, but unfortunately your terribly adorable outburst just now has given you away. I'm afraid you'll _have_ to tell me now."

Sally tried to back away, but Jack had her backed into a corner, literally. "Jack, please, it was a little slip," she pleaded. "I just got too excited. I'm really, really not supposed to say anything."

Seeing she was cornered, Jack pinned his hands on either side of Sally, trapping his beloved between him and the wall. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. My dear Sally…" Jack crooned, dropping his head so that his was less than an inch from her. "I know you promised, but you're entirely too irresistible. How can you tell me no, when deep down I know you wish to tell me so very, very badly?"

"Jack, please, I…" But Sally never finished her sentence as Jack started to kiss her. Though, it was no small peck. The kiss was slow and she all but melted into it.

Jack smiled through the kiss. Then he pulled back, leaving Sally a little breathless. He looked over his shoulders for a moment.

"Jack… W-What are you doing?" Sally asked. She noted his arms had lowered a bit. If she timed it just right, she could slip past him.

"Just ensuring we're alone." He turned back on her. He caught a slight movement. Jack raised his brow, thinking, _So she wants to play _that _game, does she?_ Looking around, Jack noticed the corner he had backed Sally into was right by the iron cage displayed in the square. Seeing it gave Jack a very wicked idea.

Instantly, Jack moved his hands from the wall to pull Sally into his arms. He then moved them to the other side where the cage stood. Checking to ensure all eyes were not on them, Jack then open the cage and pulled both himself and Sally inside. The moment he shut the door, the cage lowered into the underground. As they descended, Jack turned Sally so her back was to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled the top of her head.

"My Sally, are you nervous? You're trembling, my darling."

"J-Jack? What's going on?" Sally asked. She could see nothing in the blackness. Suddenly, the cage jerked to a stop. She could feel it swaying, meaning they had not reached the ground.

"So sorry for the abruptness, my love," Jack said, holding her tighter. Unlike her, he could see better in the dark. "But I thought this would give us a better chance to talk. I know we were in a rather secluded area, but I'd rather not have everyone's prying eyes on us for a change."

"But why would you bring us down here? And why did the cage stop?"

"Well, it's delightfully dark. Remember the fun we had in the pumpkin patch?" Jack grinned as he heard her little gasp. "Too bad Ethan, Susan, and Sherwood had to walk by and ruin our fun." He nuzzled more of Sally's hair until his nose found her ear. He softly kissed the shell, dragging his lips down past the lobe to the soft skin just below her ear.

"Jack!"

Jack moved to place teasing kisses just under her jawline, avoiding her makeup. _Will did say to be careful_, he mused to himself. He slowly slid his hands from her waist up to her shoulders. His fingers began kneading her shoulders, applying more pressure around her seams. Meanwhile, Jack was still applying small kisses to the side of her face.

"Well Sally, will you tell Old Jack that little secret now?"

His breath warmed her neck, sending a sensual shiver up Sally's spine. Without the use of her eyes, her senses were heightened tenfold. Rational thought and common sense were all but forgotten as everything around her became all Jack. Jack's voice. His touch. Even the air around her began to take on her love's unique scent of pumpkin spice, worn stone, and the midnight air of a cemetery. And his lips! Jack had kissed her before but never so low. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to have those haunting skeletal lips trailing soft kisses elsewhere. Her head tilted to the side.

Jack pulled back when he felt Sally move. His eyes looked down at Sally's now exposed neck. Taking one hand, he brushed his fingers over it until they met her braid. It rested just at her shoulder, covering part of her neck. He slid the braid over to her opposite shoulder, the tips of his finger grazing the seams connecting Sally's head to her neck. He felt her quiver under his touch. He smiled with pride. Then, Jack lowered his mouth to place slow, warm openmouthed kisses up and down Sally's neck. Her sharp intake of breath only enhanced the pleasure he felt.

_This is going to be fun._

**XXX**

_Town Square…_

"Alice Stoli Tanner, get out of the fountain THIS INSTANT!"

"You are NOT my mother and you can't make me!"

This was the eighth time Will had gotten into a debate with her friend. After chasing the rampaging kelpie nearly all over town, Will and Puck finally caught up when the beast stopped. Unfortunately, Frank had decided to stop at the fountain, bucking Al off and into the water. She had been upset at first, until she started doing the backstroke.

Meanwhile, Al was sitting up in the fountain, soaking wet, and laughing hysterically. She howled, kicking water toward Will. Her face paint streaked down her face, and her hair and clothes were plastered against her body. Frank was drinking placidly while watching with calm eyes. Meanwhile, Will was trying to encourage her drunken friend out of the water.

"I wanna be a mermaid!" Al laughed, kicking her legs again.

"Al, just how many did you have?" Will asked, picking up another bottle. "You know you get drunk on just half a bottle of beer."

Al stopped laughing and began looking at her fingers. "I lost count after two," Al said, in her most serious voice. She stared a moment longer before she fell into another fit of giggles.

"More like five bottles by my count," Puck said. "Then again, she did get into the towns ale supply. And from her romp to the swamp, who knows how many she drank."

"I'm so okay to drive! Frank will take me home… Hey, you guys are being no fun! You need to drink," Al said, wagging her finger at Will and Puck.

"Ally, we've talked about this, remember?" Will said, using a calmer tone. "If one of us has a drink, the other has to be Designated Driver so the Drinker doesn't go too crazy."

"But you're boring!" Al whined before she blinked rapidly. "Hey! You two would make cute babies."

"Uh…" Puck blushed. He looked over to Will. She was covering her eyes with one hand, trying not show how red in the face she was.

"Okay, Ally, no more talk of that, okay?" Will begged. "No one is making babies today, or anytime in the near future."

"I wanna be an auntie! I'd be an awesome auntie!" Al sang, splashing around some more.

"You'd be a killer auntie, babe," Zack said, appearing from nowhere with a glass in his hand and a smirk on his face.

Will turned around, her eyes glaring like daggers at her best friend's boyfriend. "And just where have you been?" she demanded. "I thought you were looking for Al, and making sure she didn't over do it."

"I'm her boyfriend, not her keeper," Zack replied.

Will rolled her eyes and walked away, hands raised in surrender. "Fine, whatever, I'm not getting into another pointless debate," she said. "Just get your girlfriend out of the fountain. I'll go see if I can find some towels."

"Yes Master," Zack said sarcastically. "Hey Garlic, wanna give me a hand?"

"Coming," Puck called. He hated when Zack called him that, but the current situation was more important

Zack took off his shoes and hopped into the fountain. Al was immediately on her feet and kicking up a storm. She then took of running, Zack hot on her heels. Puck kept her contained in the fountain until Zack managed to catch her around the waist, and haul her over his shoulder fireman style. She protested but was silenced with a quick swat on the butt. With a heave, Zack walked them both out of the fountain, maintaining his hold on Al. Frank, who had been watching the whole scene, trotted up to Zack. He blew a breath into Al's face.

"Thanks for nothing, Frankie," Al grumbled as her kelpie gave a small snort and licked her face.

"So, what do we do with her now?" Puck asked. "She is getting rather…compromising."

Zack chuckled. "This is just beer, boy. You should see her on whiskey. Beer is just talk… Whiskey, well, she starts trying to actually make babies."

Puck jumped from shock. "Sh-She what?!"

Zack laughed even harder. "Oh you poor, innocent lamb."

"Zack, are you harassing people again?" Will called. She was walking towards them while carrying several black towels.

"Just making your boyfriend crazy," Zack replied, turning to face her and almost hitting Puck with Al.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now put the girl down before I change my mind about letting her puke on you."

"She is looking more green, and I don't mean from the face paint," Puck pointed out.

Zack grinned and set Al on the ground. Her eyes were spinning slightly and she had started to shiver. Will gently wrapped a towel over her shoulders. She rubbed her hands over the towel, trying to help Al dry off. Al grabbed the edge of the soft towel and wrapped it around herself. Frank walked over, blowing his hot breath over his favorite human.

"So, did we learn anything today, Miss Ally?" Will asked teasingly.

"I wanna be a mermaid…" Al said softly.

Zack sighed quietly and crouched down. Carefully scooping her up, he pressed her head against his shoulder. "You don't need to be a mermaid, Al," he said, kissing her forehead. "You're an Al, and that's the best thing to be in my book."

Al looked up and smiled softly. Nestling happily against him, she closed her eyes and muttered, "I like your book."

"Even when three sheets to the wind, you two can still find ways to be adorably sappy," Will said. "However, I think Al should go home now. She's going to have one killer of a hangover in the morning."

"Some water and a spinach salad should do the trick," Puck suggested. "In the morning, give her some scrambled eggs and orange juice too. Though, if Al is prone to nausea, I would recommend a pot of ginger tea to settle her stomach."

Will raised a brow and gave Puck a half smile. "You want to try getting this girl to eat that particular leafy green?" she said. "Good luck! Al wouldn't take it if you had the spinach in Zack's mouth and she could get a kiss out of it."

"Spinach is gross!" Al whined again but her voice was laced with sleep.

"It's okay, Al. I won't let that bad vampire feed you spinach," Zack cooed, rocking her slowly.

"My hero…" Al said, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Okay, time to go." Will took Al from Zack and leaned her against her body. With a grunt, she stood up, half dragging Al. "You boys play nice," she said. "I'll tuck this one into bed and be back for the rest of the party."

"Sure you don't need some help?" Zack asked, slightly forlorn at loosing his girl.

"I got this, Zack. Al always wants to look her best for you, and she made me swear on me mum that I'd never let you see her after she got sleepy in a drunken state." She gave both boys a deadpan stare. "Trust me, it ain't pretty."

"Can we play sleepy time now?" Al asked, bobbing her head against Will's shoulder.

"Sure thing, Sweet-pea." Will shifted to support more of Al's weight. "Say goodnight, Alice."

"Goodnight Alice…" she muttered.

Zack snorted slightly and walked over. He gave her a quick kiss on the hair and said, "Goodnight Al."

"See you later boys." Will gave them a nod before turning to head toward Skellington Manor.

"Gosh, she is fun…" Zack said, watching the girls go. "Again, she's more fun on whiskey. What shall we do now, Garlic?"

"Not sure," Puck replied. "I believe there was mention of a parade, but without the Pumpkin King to head it off, I doubt it will begin. He seems to have disappeared."

"Well hootie hoo, Bone Man gettin' some." Zack chuckled, sipping his drink.

"Can you get your mind out of the gutter for one night?" Puck asked with a smirk. Zack merely winked. "What do you say we go find the Pumpkin King so we can get this parade started?"

"Sounds like a plan, Garlic Bread."

"I say we split up," Puck suggested. "You take the pumpkin patch and I'll search the alleys around town, then we can meet back in the graveyard. Oh, just let me grab my drink first."

"Shake a leg, Garlic!" Zack called, making Puck shake his head. However, Puck never noticed the swift switch of the cups, nor the quiet giggling of three mischievous little imps.

**XXX**

_Apartment**…**_

"Now, you just get some rest and I'll see you in the morning." Will tucked the covers up to Al's chin. It had been brutal getting Al home and into bed.

First, she had given up on trying to drag Al up Jack's insanely steep stairs. She opted for opening a portal using the garden shed just under Jack's house. Then, after helping Al into the apartment, the girls had been flocked by the pets. Al tried to get on the floor to cuddle with them while Will attempted to shoo them off. Then Al groaned as a dull headache steadily made its vicious purpose known. Accompanied by the head attack, a wave of nausea swept toward her, making Al taste her own stomach acid for a brief moment before repressing the urge to throw chuck.

"I think I'm gonna puke…" she groaned. Will offered to help, but Al managed to moan out that she could handle it on her own before bolting to the bathroom. She slowly made her way out after a muffled flush and cleaning herself up.

"Okay, let's go," Al said, voice raspy.

That taken care of, Will then dumped Al on her bed and took off her shoes before making multiple trips to the kitchen for glasses of water. Now with her friend finally sleeping, Will quietly slipped from bedroom.

Will was about to leave, when she thought, _Better just open the door here. If I go out, the pets will get crazy and wake Al._

Will slipped her key from the chain around her neck and, doing her best to remain silent, unlocked the door to Halloween Town. The ever present autumn chill greeted her as she stepped through the door. Closing it behind her, Will let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness that's done," she said to herself. "Now I can relax and enjoy the rest of the party…"

"I'm one buzzed bastard!"

Will cringed, thinking, _Spoke too soon._ She dashed back to the town square where she could hear loud music playing. It was not the typical haunting music of the Zombie Band; it sounded more like eighties music. When she reached the square, there were some monsters dancing, but what caught Will's attention was the large crowd surrounding a couple parade floats.

_I guess Ally and I missed the parade_, Will thought. She tried to see what had people so excited but Will could not see over the mass of bodies. She finally spotted Zack's messy hair towards the front, but only for a moment before he disappeared. Everyone laughing and shouting also made it hard to hear what was going on. Frustrated, Will shifted into a bat and flew over the crowd. She kept her eyes peeled until she found Zack again. She flew over and landed, shifting back into a human next to his side.

"Zack, what's going on?" she asked. "What's everyone looking at?"

"Remember how I said I would show you Puck's strip tease?" Zack said, slightly trailing off. "Well…"

"Willa!"

Will stared off as the center of all the attention landed in front of her. Puck, shoes and shirt gone, hair loose from his ponytail stood before her with wings fully extended as he smiled at her, fangs showing. "_Meu sangue laranja pequena doce_, you've returned." He reached out and took her hand, kissing the back of it. "_Meu coração, não poderia nua a estar fora do meu amor por mais um momento._"

"Sayth what?!"

Zack laughed. "That, my little Willy-will-bat, is Portuguese," he explained. "Apparently, Old Garlic here picked up the wrong drink and is _way_ past three sheets, if you know what I mean."

"And what does that have to do with the code-switching?" Will asked, trying to pull her arm away from Puck's grasp. He was trying to kiss a trail from her wrist up her arm.

"Oh, this is nothing. While you were taking care of Al, Puck here has been giving us a little performance." Zack held up his fingers as he listed things off. "Drunk flying acrobatics, a failed attempt at a strip tease, and like Ferris, he jumped up on one of the floats and did "Twist and Shout" along with a bunch of other dancing. Don't worry though, nothing PDA. I think he was saving those moves for you."

"Not funny, and it doesn't explain why he's drunk?" Will demanded, getting more irritated as Puck was still trying to kiss her. "Puck said he doesn't drink, so how this happen?" She finally ripped her hand away and glared at Zack. "Zackary Ricard Jameson, if you gave him any, so help me I'll–"

"Hey now, I may be a lot of things, but I do not spike another man's drink!" Zack said, sounding offended. "I don't know where he got the booze and it isn't my fault."

Will groaned in frustration. "Okay, then why hasn't anyone done anything?"

"And miss this show?" Zack said with a sly smile and a rather slimy laugh. "Program please!"

"Zack, people are staring!"

"Oh, _minha senhora bonita_, don't be upset," Puck cooed. He grabbed Will's other hand and pulled her to him so her body was flush against him. "The music got everyone dancing, even the Pumpkin King and his bride joined in. They left earlier to grab something for you. Something to do with a cake, I believe, but let's not concern ourselves about it right now."

"Whew!" Will closed her eyes and crinkled her nose. "How much did you drink?" she asked. "Your breath smells like a brewery."

"Come, join in, _meu amor_. We can dance long into the night by the light of the moon and stars, _embora eles empalidecem em comparação com você, meu anjo negro_."

"Okay Garlic, that's a bit too much to drink. You're cut off," Zack said, blushing as he mentally translated his friend's words. He strode forward and placed his hands on Will's shoulders, jerking her back. He moved her behind him, he and set a hand on Puck's shoulder. "We can head back to my place and sleep it off."

"Zackary, I'm fine but I'll not have you stand between my and my lady." Puck brushed Zack's hand aside. Then, before either could blink, Puck was standing behind them both. He wrapped one arm around Will's waist and jumped up onto the wall of the fountain.

"What just happened?!" Will shrieked.

"Is my delightful peach nervous?" Puck asked, nuzzling his cheek against the top of Will's head. "_Não tenha medo, meu morcego tímido. Você é príncipe tendem a tudo._"

"Buddy, don't know what you said, and don't care. Just let go and we can get you back home before you make an even bigger fool out of yourself."

"Haha! Only a fool for love, and always a fool for you, my blood orange." Puck kissed her nose, then lifted Will up and spun her around, laughing as he did.

Will, however, was not as amused. "Puck, put me down!" she shouted. "Put me down right now!"

"Never again," he shouted back. He stopped spinning and held her up with one arm. "I've let you go too many times to count. _Meu amor por você é um forte quanto o sol escaldante, e tão forte quanto o mar tempestuosa._"

"Okay, you–" Will pointed at Puck. "Need to stop talking Spanish or whatever, and put me down." She turned to address the crowd. "Does anyone here have any idea how this happ– HEY! Watch the hands!"

Will smacked Puck's head when she felt his hand get too low on her back. She looked around but it appeared everyone had gone back to the party. Only Zack seemed to be left. He watched and Will could see his mind toss the idea to intervene or let it play out. A slow smile came to his face. Will could see he had decided to let it play out. She glared at him.

"So help me, Zackary, I am going to get you for this," she hissed. "Could _someone_ please help!"

Will's plea caught the attention of some of the other citizens. She smiled when Glenn, Davy, and Jerome came over, but she was most excited when she saw the Vampire Brothers coming her way.

"This kid is really out of it," Glenn said, "but never seen ale do that to someone."

"Agreed. The boy must not be able to tolerate the stuff," Davy added.

"Knew he was a light weight." Zack chuckled a bit. He then turned to the Vampire Brothers. "Hey, he's your nephew. Any ideas?"

"We've never seen him like this before," Max said

"It's so rare. He almost never drinks after the first incident," John added. "Remember, Marishka and Reinaldo had to remodel the entire East Wing."

"I remember that," Bela said.

"But one drink would not cause this much trouble," Lon argued. "The brand Alice brought was mild compared to what a stronger ale could do. He should not be reacting this way."

"So what the heck is wrong with him?" Will shouted, pushing Puck's face away as she continued to struggle. "Cause I want answers _right now_!"

"Perhaps if we had his cup we could determine what caused this," Bela suggested. "But first things first." He walked away from his brothers and placed a hand on Puck's shoulder.

"My boy, I believe Willa has had enough now. Set her down, if you'd please."

"Oh Uncle…" Puck sighed. He lowered Will but did not release her. "To ask such a thing would be to give up a sacred treasure. I said I would not let her go again, and I meant it. I'll never let my future mate go again."

"Oh hell no!" Will was at her limit. She tried to free herself, but Puck was too strong for her to wriggle free, and he had her in a position that made it impossible for her to transform into a bat.

Meanwhile, the Vampire Brothers were becoming outraged. Never had they heard the boy speak in suck a way before. This was not the young charge they knew, and he certainly never made such statement towards a young lady. He understood Puck was intoxicated but it certainly was no excuse for acting in such a disgraceful manor.

"Young man, you will show your elders some respect," Max warned, becoming angrier. "You will release the young lady at once, and retire with Zackary back to you home, or we shall have to become forceful."

Puck stilled for a moment. Will even quieted, her eyes becoming nervous as she stared at Puck's unseen face. He leaned forward and placed a kiss to her temple, murmuring something in his foreign tongue. Then, he turned on back and snarled a warning at his uncles, his eyes glowing red from anger. "Back off, old man," he hissed. "You don't tell me what to do. You _quatro velhotes_ couldn't hope to stand up to a young blood like me."

"Ferdinando Stefan Dracul Diogenes!" Max snapped, outraged at the impudence of his nephew. "This behavior will not be tolerated." His brother came to his side, all hissing their own warnings.

However, Glenn and Jerome snickered, while Zack laughed so hard he bent in half. He clutch his sides and wiped a tear from his eyes. "Now _that_ is a name!"

"Zack, hardly the time!" Will hissed. Her eyes were glowing now too, and her fangs were lengthening. "If you don't get me out of here soon, I'll be making an exception to my all fruit diet."

"How the hell did you get 'Puck' as a nickname out of that monstrosity of vowels?" Zack asked, choosing to take the risk of Will's wrath.

"It was a name he referred to himself when he was a boy," Lon explained, settling down as he explained. "He always fancied the tale of the mischievous Robin Goodfellow, and preferred to be referred to as Puck."

"He did get into many misadventures," Max added, a smile tugging at his lips. The Vampire Brothers began to calm as each of them reminisced the past.

"Remember when he once he tried to switch his brother with a infant bat when he was just a lad?" Bella asked, chuckling a bit. "Marishka came to pick up the little tot from our home after Puck had them fooled near a week."

"That explains a lot, but again, how does that help _now_!" Will shouted. She currently had both hands pressed against Puck's mouth to keep the vampire from kissing her again. "This is getting really old!"

"Such a playful little creature," Puck murmured against her palms, placing soft kisses there between his words. "And she tastes even sweeter."

"Puck, seriously, snap out of it!"

Puck pulled back and wrapped his other arm around Will. He now had her so close that her hands were pinned between them. He smiled as she struggled. "My sweetest blood orange, you really should relax. Have fun. It is a party in your honor, after all."

"It's St. Patricks Day, Puck," Will corrected him. "I told you before, I don't like celebrating my birthday, and you're really starting to-"

"Come now, love, this is your day. And I intend to make sure you enjoy every moment of it." He reached up one hand and grabbed her chin. Puck look at her angered face for only a moment before capturing her lips. There was an audial protest from Will, but Puck only deepens the kiss, moving his hand across her cheek until his fingers tangled in her hair. He pulled her head closer for another minute until Will's need for air forced him to pull back.

"Trust me, my flustered beauty," Puck purred, eyes glowing as he spoke. "Let me take the lead."

"Oh no…" Bela moaned.

"Okay, the eye glow is creepy. Why is that happening?" Zack asked. He looked to see all four vampires had become much paler than regular for the undead bloodsuckers. "And now something tells me I need to get a sonic screwdriver and a police call box."

There was no reply.

"Spit it out. What's happening up there?" Glenn demanded.

The Vampire Brothers turned to them, a look of absolute horror reflected in each of their eyes.

"We need to find Jack!"


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this little bit. And I have a little challenge for you: how many references you can name in this chapter?

* * *

**Chapter 10: Too Good to be True**

_Skellington Manor…_

"Jack, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course, I know she'll just love it!"

Sally cocked her brow before looking back down at the counter. After their little rendezvous in the underground, she and Jack returned and had been found by Puck and Zack to start the parade. Things were going well when Sally recalled they had left Will's birthday cake back at the house. Though now Sally was unsure about Jack's decision to add more decorations to it. The once chocolate chocolate cake with "Happy Birthday Will" piped in green frosting with shamrock decorations now sported little candy corn pumpkins, candied insects, and a chocolate bat to top the whole thing off.

"The decorations just didn't seem to cut it, but I'm sure Will is going to adore it, especially since I used candied bugs to accommodate her new palate for insects."

However, Sally was still not convinced. True, Will now had an appetite for more of Halloween Town's unique cuisine, but she was still human. She sighed. "Okay…but don't you think–"

_SCREECH!_ "Jack! Jack! Oh please, please tell me you're home!"

"That sounds like the Mayor," Jack said. Placing the cake down on the counter, he hurried to the door, Sally right behind him. When he opened it, Jack found the Mayor in a panic. "Mayor, what's the trouble?"

"Oh Jack, it's the absolute worst thing!" he cried. "You must come down to the square, immediately!"

"But I don't–"

"No time!" The Mayor grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him down the stairs. Jack barely had time to think. He looked behind him to find Sally struggling to keep up on the stairs. The Mayor was quick despite his status, and Jack was slowly tripping as he tried to match his longer stride with the Mayor's shorter legs.

Dragging them down the last step, the Mayor sprinted back toward the square. As they ran, Jack began slowly going through the possible worst scenario cases. The Mayor had a tendency to overreact to the simplest matters, but the politician had never been so forceful before.

They were just coming up on the square when Jack spotted a large crowd. He saw the worried looks on all his friends faces, but before he could ask what was going on, something caught his ear.

_You're just too good to be true  
__I can't take my eyes off you  
__You'd be like heaven to touch  
__I wanna hold you so much  
__At long last love has arrived  
__And I thank God I'm alive  
__You're just too good to be true  
__Can't take my eyes off you_

"What in the name of Halloween?" Jack pulled his arm free of the Mayor and looked up.

Standing on top of one of the parade floats was Will and Puck. Puck had his arms around Will and was singing to her as he lead them into a dance. This would not have seemed odd, if Jack had not already known Will had declined to dancing earlier, though it was possible she could have reconsidered. What really caught Jack's attention was the expression on her face. At first glance, she would seem happy by her small smile. However, her face was void of any emotion and, though she moved in perfect sync with Puck as he twirled, spun, and dipped her body; her eyes looked like a pair of glass doll's eyes. Something was very, very wrong.

"Jack!"

Jack turned and spotted the Vampire Brothers approaching. "What's going on?" he asked them.

"Oh Jack, it's awful," Bela said. "Willa has been mesmerized!"

"She what?!"

"I fear it's the truth," Max said. "Somehow our nephew picked up the wrong drink and became severely inebriated."

"But what does that have to do with this?" Jack asked, pointing at Puck, who had Will in another spin as he sang.

_I love you baby  
__And if its quite alright  
__I need you baby  
__To warm the lonely nights  
__I love you baby  
__Trust in me when I say  
__Oh pretty baby  
__Don't bring me down I pray_

_Oh pretty baby  
__Now that I've found you stay  
__And let me love you, baby  
__Let me love you_

"Singing and dancing? Man, this guy gives Casanova a run for his money."

Hearing the comment, Jack turned around to find Zack watching the display. The young man was also holding a rectangular device similar to the witch's glass Will owned, the "cell phone" as humans called it. Jack ran to Zack and found that he was somehow recording the display. He frowned.

"This is hardly appropriate!" Jack shouted, snatching the phone.

Zack jumped and spun around. "Jack, give me my phone back! It's a joke so cool your jets!" he said, trying to grab his phone back.

"This is not the time for jokes," Jack stated. He held up his arm with the phone, avoiding Zack's attempts to retrieve it before turning back to the Vampire Brothers. "Now, tell me what happened exactly."

"We are not sure how Puck obtained a drink, but it is having a strange effect on him, more than usual," Max explained. "It started with simple merriment, but suddenly he became possessive and drew young Willa into his arms, becoming too forward. We tried to stop him, but he challenged us, mesmerizing Willa in the process, and proceeded with this display."

"How long had she been under?"

"A few minutes, but we will need to move quickly before the boy does something they will both regret!" John urged. "Not to mention the repercussions on Willa's part."

"Fantastic!" Zack cheered, snatching back his phone when Jack lowered his arm. He quickly pocketed his phone and turned back to the couple. "I'm all for helping out but… Man! How does she get her leg up like that?"

"Puck has Will mesmerized and you're more concerned of her dancing?!" Jack demanded. He was becoming increasingly irritated by Zack's lack of concern over the matter.

"I totally know what that is," Zack said, "but please explain it like I don't." Jack could see the boy had no clue what he was talking about.

"We can explain," John interrupted, noting the Pumpkin King's frustration. "Mesmerization is one of many talents of the vampiric. We use this to halt our prey, holding them in a trance while we feed."

"Yes, but not all vampires are like us," Lon continued. "Some, mostly the younger generations, use this power to _play_ with their victim before drinking their blood."

Nodding, Bela added, "Others use it to bend the will, forcing the person to submit to whatever that vampire desired."

"So… It's like GHB?" Zack

"What it means is that Will is no longer in control of her actions; Puck is," Jack stated, "and if we do not intervene immediately, Will may spend the rest of her life as a lifeless doll!"

"Oh, so GHB on steroids." Zack groaned. "Awesome…simply fantastic…"

"The only way to do that without harming either of them is to break Puck's control," Jack said, looking up at Will and Puck. "We've done it in the past, but it requires a powerful vampire to break the control of another. Fortunately, I do not foresee that difficult due to Puck's intoxication. The only problem is we shall need to separate them."

"Could I huck a whole garlic at him? Would that work?" Zack asked, his face completely serious.

"Valid idea, Zack, but let's not use extremes unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps we could blindside them…" Jack thought aloud. "We could use a distraction of some sorts that would cause Puck to release his hold on Will, and give us a chance to separate them. Then, while Max and his brothers take care of Will, Zack and I can find a way to incapacitate Puck until he regains his senses."

"An excellent plan, Jack, but then there's still one other problem…" Bela added. "Puck is terrifically protective of Willa at present. If we try to take her, he will not hesitate to use force."

"That is a problem," Jack said, looking remorseful. "I try to avoid confrontations that intend harm, but it would appear we may not have a choice in the matter." He looked to the Vampire Brothers, and seeing their reluctant nods, he sighed. "Zack, retrieve your garlic. I hate to use it, but if we need a last resort…"

"I'll be back faster than you can spell TARDIS," Zack said, turning sharp and sprinting off. Zack returned a very brief moment later. He was running a bit slower and seemed to have something clinging to his back.

Jack's eyes widened. It was Sally!

"Man, even for a rag doll, you are way too light," Zack grumbled, jogging up to the group. He placed his back cargo on the ground. Sally looked flustered from the piggy back ride Zack had given her. The human, on the other hand, had a small plastic container with a bright pink lid in his hand. Giving it a little shake, the whole garlic clove battered the sides.

"Never leave home without it, especially since I'm friends with a vampire. No offense guys but I have this fear of getting my blood sucked by a guy," Zack said with a cheeky grin.

"What is going on?" Sally asked, looking around.

"It appears we've had another mishap with the drinking again," Jack said, coming up beside her. "Puck is completely intoxicated after retrieving the wrong drink."

"That doesn't seem likely. Are you sure that's what happened?" Sally asked. She crossed her arms and raised a brow. "The last time this occurred, three naughty children were behind the shenanigans. Have you happened to see Lock, Shock, or Barrel anywhere?"

"I understand what you're saying, Sally, but I've had the ghosts keeping an eye on those pesky trick-or-treaters all evening," Jack protested. "They couldn't have gotten near the punch or any of the ale without being seen."

"Even ghosts can't be ever vigilant," Sally cautioned. "If Lock, Shock and Barrel intended a prank, they'd have seen to finding a blind spot."

"You know, Sally has a point," Max said. "Come to think of it, Puck should have caught the ale's scent the moment he brought the cup to his lips. If those three did something, it might be more than ale causing this irrational behavior."

"Now he's drugged? This just keeps getting better," Zack whispered sarcastically.

"If only we knew what was in his drink," Lon moaned. "Or, at least, if we had a way of extracting the ale from his body. It might give him a clearer head."

"There might be a way…" Sally said, "but first we would have to get Will far away from Puck."

"You have a solution then, Sally?" Jack asked.

"I have an idea," she suggested. "I'll need time to run back to the house to get a few things, but I think it'll work. Can you keep Puck distracted until I return?"

"We will try, but it won't be easy," Jack said, looking back at Puck and Will. He was spinning her into a dip once more, a drunken look of love in his eyes.

"We have to keep them in the square," Max stated. "If Puck senses he's being threatened, he might take off and we will loose him."

"Contain and maintain. Got it." Zack nodded.

"Not necessarily," Max replied. "If Puck should take off, he will not be easy to follow. The boy has demon blood, making him difficult to track compared to a vampire. And he has more abilities than my brothers and I, making it easier for him to hide."

"If he turns into a stone angel statue, I'm ditching you all," Zack muttered.

"In any case, we won't have to do anything unless Puck makes a drastic move," Jack said. He then split everyone into teams. Sally would run back and grab whatever she needed for her plan. Meanwhile, Jack and Zack would try to get close to Puck without drawing suspicion. The Vampire Brothers and the Mayor would mingle among the crowds, alerting everyone else to the situation to avoid a panic.

It was not long before Sally returned, a large canvas bag in hand. She found everyone dancing or involved in some other activity to keep up the charade. She eventually spotted Jack and Zack monitoring from the fountain. They had each taken a cup of punch to give the appearance of casually conversing with one another. Puck had moved to the top, standing steadily as he held Will up with one arm and sang another love song to her.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Sally whispered, glancing upward.

"Only that Puck has been mooning over Will and singing to her," Jack reported. "He almost tried to bite her once, but Zack intervened."

Zack tossed a now empty plastic container. "Emergency garlic," he said with a wink. "Tossed the whole thing at Will's back."

"Good thinking," Sally praised. "Throwing the garlic at Will wouldn't harm Puck, but the scent would momentarily disorient him."

"So, do you have what you need, my Sally?" Jack asked. He was too excited to see what his clever Sally had planned.

She nodded, patting her bag. "All right here." She carefully pulled out each item: a spool of hemp cord, some rubber bands, a few scraps of tulle, a jar of Frog's Breath, a larger container of Fog Juice, some rope, and even a little vile of liquid Nightshade. The last item she removed was a small jar containing a glowing green ooze.

"That better not turn anyone into an overgrown turtle with a fancy for ninjas and pizza," Zack said, eyeing the jar.

Jack was also looking at the jar, only having recognized the contents within—and knowing where she would have had to look—gave his beloved a skeptical look. "Sally, where did you get that?"

Sally looked away, blushing immensely. "The trunk at the foot of your bed…" she confessed. "I know I should have asked, but I thought the Soul Robber would be the best tool to snatch Will away from Puck." She glanced back, nervously fluttering her eyelashes. "Are you mad?" she asked.

"Oh no, Sally, I'm not mad," Jack assured her. "It's very clever! Why, I couldn't think of a better way."

"I could say I have a picture of Will in a bikini and tackle him," Zack suggested. When he got two awkward looks, he shrugged and chuckled. "What? It's a fact: no matter how gentlemanly, a guy will always turn into a horny bugger when introduced to the possibility of a picture of their fetching female in as little clothing as possible."

Jack blanched a bright ivory while Sally looked like a lighter shade of her hair. "Umm, I think we should avoid that," she said, turning the jar over in her hands. "Will is already going to feel embarrassed about this, so stating something like that…"

Zack gave them an 'Are you serious?' look.

"Let's see what Sally has planned first," Jack suggested. "If it doesn't work, we can use yours as a…uh, Plan B."

Zack grumbled. "I'm always plan B…"

Seeing they were all in agreement, Sally handed the Soul Robber to Jack and picked up the tulle and rubber bands. "Okay, here's the plan."

As all this was going on, Puck and Will were standing still atop the fountain. Puck smiled as he wrapped his wings loosely around them. "Willa, _meu amor_, tell me you're having a wonderful birthday," he purred. He had his free hand on her cheek while the other arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"I'm having a wonderful birthday," she replied, her voice monotone.

Puck pouted. "_Bastão pequeno bobo_, please, be happy when you say it. I can't stand when you're sad."

A smile worked it's way onto Will's face. She laughed, titling her head to the side, and said, "I'm happy!"

Puck growled possessively. "That's my girl." He stared at her a moment longer before laughing heartily. "You're just so cute! I love you, Willa!"

Will laughed again. "I'm happy! Happy!"

Puck spun them around, adoring Will's cute little reactions and making her laugh and repeat how happy she was. He was so involved he did not notice the silence, nor the heavy fog spreading throughout the square. Soon the two were surrounded in a sea of white-gray.

Puck stopped and looked down at Will's face. She was smiling and looking absolutely beautiful, though something was off about her eyes. They seemed dull, lacking the usual ocean of blue light he loved about them. Well, he could certainly fix that. He raised his hand back to her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. Then, Will closed her eyes, her head titling up to him as her lips parted. He leaned in.

"Fire one!"

Something hit Puck on the head. Looking up, he caught the object three inches from his face as it fell into his hand. Though, he wished he had not the moment it came close to his nose.

"Sweet Mother!" He threw the item away, his other arm gripping onto Willa.

"Fire two!"

Suddenly, another barrage of the foul-smelling objects rained down on Puck's head. Surprised, Puck folded his wings, opening himself to further assault and exposing Will to the volley as well. The odor was so awful that Puck had to cover his nose, a poor attempt to block the smell, but it was all he had. Looking over at Will, he saw that she was coughing violently. Both of them needed air, but he could not see where this attack was coming from.

"Now Jack!"

Something grabbed onto Will. It was a bright green substance that wrapped itself multiple times around her waist. She looked at Puck with panicked eyes before she was ripped out of his arms. She called out but Puck was not fast enough. Will was lost in the fog. Panicked and angry, Puck scanned the area trying to find her.

"Show yourselves, you spineless cowards!" he shouted. Fangs bared and claws ready for attack, Puck spread his wings to span twice the size of his body, making him look larger. "Release Willa and I shall spare you."

"Spare me pah-lease!" Puck had no time to respond as a heavy body slammed into him from behind. A strong arm wrapped itself around his neck. "Don't struggle. I've wrestled baby horses."

Panicked, Puck took to the sky trying to shake the foreign entity off. Beating his wings furiously, he tried every maneuver he could think of, but whatever had latched onto him was not letting go.

"What does this rag smell like to you?" the other person cried and a soft cloth was pressed against his nose and mouth. Puck struggled as a strong odor, much stronger than the one before, overwhelmed his senses. The smell was sweeter and the more he breathed in, the heavier his eyelids became, the adrenaline slowly decreasing from his body.

Meanwhile, from atop his friend's back, Zack was laughing like a triumphant madman. "Ha! Boom baby!" It was then Zack realized they were about fifty feet up in the air and Puck had just lost consciousness.

"Oh… I'm about to die… I regret nothing!"

Zack screamed as they began to descend, the ground coming closer and his mind creating thoughts of becoming a splattered mess on the sidewalk.

"Do not worry, Zackary, we have you."

Zack looked up in time to see two large bats approaching. Each one took ahold on Puck's wings and tried to prevent them from plummeting. However, it was not enough to create the drag needed for a safe landing. Zack watched as the ground was coming closer. Then, two more bats appeared and joined the first. They made it seem slower, but they were still coming in too fast.

"Coming in hot!" Zack yelled.

Below, the citizens of Halloween Town were in a panic. They could see the Vampire Brothers were unable to stop Zack and Puck from crashing. There was nothing any of them could do; they could only watch in horror, and not the fun kind.

Sally was nearly in tears. She had planned for Puck to fly off, but she did not think Zack would jump onto the vampire's back. Puck was an immortal, making his body more durable should he hit the ground. He could sustain serious injury, but he would recover. Zack would not.

"Puck, PUCK! Let me go. Let. Me. GO!" Sally turned to see Will. Bela had been holding her while Max had tried to undo Puck's mesmerization, but they had left to help Lon and John. Now the girl was being held in Glenn's grasp, but she was thrashing violently. Davy and Ned came over to help, fearing Will would harm herself if she kept flailing like that.

Sally turned with teary eyes to Jack. "What do we do?"

"I-I don't know…" Jack tried to think. The boys were headed directly for the ground, and there was nothing around to use. _What can we do?_ he thought. _If only we had a trampoline or something…_ Jack looked down and his eyes caught sight of the Soul Robber. He recalled how Doctor Finklestein explained some of the mechanics of the device, and some of what he had done with the Soul Robber during Oogie Boogie's attack on the Seven Holiday Worlds. Since then, he had been experimenting to see what other abilities the Soul Robber might possess.

"Jack…"

Jack spun on his heel. "Sally, gather everyone together in the center of the square," he ordered. "I need all that can pull. Make sure they are ready when I give the signal."

"But Jack, what are you planning?" Sally asked.

"Please, Puck and Zack don't have time!"

Sally watched as Jack ran off. She did not know what he was up to, but she trusted him. Taking a breath, she gathered as many people as she can. She managed to collect the Corpse Family, Creature Under the Stairs, the Hanging Tree and Hangmen, the Harlequin Demon, Mr. Hyde, and the Behemoth, and placed them under where the boys were falling.

"Sally, what's going on?" Bertha asked, holding onto her husband's arm.

"What's going to happen to them?"

"Sally, tell us what's happening."

"I-I don't know," Sally tried to say.

"Kerry's right," Ned yelled, "we need to know!"

"Where's Jack?"

"Yes, Jack will know what to do!"

"Everyone, please, be patient," Sally pleaded. She tried her best to keep everything under control, but while she has complete trust in Jack, the fear for their friends was beginning to take over.

"Jack has a plan. He wouldn't let anything happen. I am asking you to put your trust in him, as our Pumpkin King and our friend."

"But what is he–"

"Everyone, get ready!" They all turned to see Jack retuning to the square. He was riding on Al's kelpie with Zero flying beside him. When they stepped into the square, Jack pulled back his arm and sent the Soul Robber flying. Everyone backed away as the green ooze soared between the crowds. It latched onto a lamppost.

Jack pulled back both on the Soul Robber and on the kelpie's mane. He then leaned back, pressing his legs into the kelpie's sides while restricting the foreword motion with his seat. Jack then commanded, "Back," causing the creature to move backwards.

"Everyone!" Jack called. "Grab ahold of the Soul Robber and pull. We need to make a net to catch the boys." When he saw their hesitation, Jack put more compulsion into his voice. "They don't have time. Do it now!"

Not used to their leader's forcefulness, the Halloween citizens quickly did what Jack asked of them. They pulled with all their might. The Soul Robber had the consistency of taffy, but it was like pulling thick rubber. They struggled and were slowly making the Soul Robber stretch.

"We need more help!" Jack called.

Still holding onto Will, Glenn looked to Davy and Ned. "You two go help," he told them. "I'll hold her."

Nodding, the devil and corpse released their hold on Will and ran to join the group. Will began thrashing immediately. Glenn struggled to hold on, but for a small human girl, she was surprisingly strong.

"Must be the hypnosis," Glenn grunted, tightening his grip. "Calm down Will, it's me."

"AAAH!" Will screamed. Her adrenaline was pumping and it started to show. Fur grew on her body, and her teeth and claws became sharp. Even the claws on her feet were already ripping through her shoes. Skin along her arms elongated into leathery membranes.

"Sheesh! That what I used to look like during transformation?" Glenn tightened his hold and half dragged Will over to the witches. They were standing off to the side of the main gate. "Hey, think you can take care of this?" he asked. "I gotta help the others."

Helgamine nodded. "We have some ginseng extract in the shop. Zelda, went to grab it when we saw Will started in."

"Helga, I've got it!" Zeldaborne called. The smaller witch ran up to them, holding a small red elixir. "Glenn, if you'd please, hold her head back so we can pour this into her mouth."

Glenn did as asked. It was not easy. Glenn had to hold Will's head and lean back while Helgamine pinched her nose. Mouth wide open, Zeldaborne poured the red liquid down Will's throat. She coughed but soon her body went limp, and she collapsed. Glenn then handed Will off to the witches to look after while he ran to join the others.

With Glenn's help, the Soul Robber stretched to fill a good portion of the town square. Everyone struggled to keep it pulled tight. Jack cracked open one eye socket to see everyone struggling.

"Hold tight everyone. Here they come!"

As the words left Jack's lips, Zack and Puck landed in the center of the Soul Robber. The force of the impact caused them to bounce, making it harder for the Halloween citizens to maintain their hold. When they finally stopped, Jack had everyone come together so they could help the boys to the ground.

"I always hated trampolines…" Zack groaned. He turned his head to the side to glare at the still unconscious Puck. "And of course he's still out… I'm gonna puke on him."

"You were very lucky he did not bite you," Max replied. He and his brothers has returned to their vampiric forms, and offered to help Zack to his feet. "Had you hesitated a moment longer with the cloth dipped in liquid nightshade, you would become a soulless slave, or worse."

"The only thing worse than soulless slave would be…working at Walmart. Wait, those are the same thing."

"That was foolish, Zack," Jack scolded, retracting the Soul Robber. He then climbed off Frank, thanking the kelpie for his service before turning back to Zack "I admire your bravery but please refrain from such heroics again. I don't believe Al would be pleased should something happen to you."

"What Al doesn't know won't hurt me," Zack replied before turning to Sally. "Hey Sweet Doll, you still got that rope?"

Sally nodded and pulled it from her bag. "Here you are," she said, handing it to Zack. "But what are you going to do with it?"

Zack thanked her and snapped the rope. He then used it to tie Puck up and then threw the unconscious vampire on top of Frank. The kelpie snorted in protest. "Okay, hard parts done, but what do we do when he wakes up?" Zack asked, patting the kelpie's shoulder before adding, "I remember the first time he was drunk, he tried to rip my vocal cords out and the hangover rivaled even the most heaviest of drinkers"

"Do not fret, Zackary," John said, "this should wear off after a day's rest. Though give him some cold water and tomato juice when he wakes. It should dull down his bloodlust."

"The real concern is Will," Max stated. "I was interrupted and did not have a chance to free her mind. It shall be a more daunting process now."

"Least this time she'll hold still," Glenn pointed out. "The witches gave her something to help her relax."

"Max, do you think you'll be able to release her from Puck's trance?" Jack asked.

"I will try, but it will not be easy," he replied. "Remember, Jack, the longer a victim is under a vampire's mesmerization, the more arduous the task of releasing that victim."

"Then we had better move quickly." Everyone rushed over to the witches while Zack hung back with Frank. When they reached them, the witches were prattling and Will was laying on the rim of the fountain with her head resting on Sally's lap.

"How is she doing?" Jack asked.

"She's okay for now," Sally reported. She smoothed some of Will's hair out of her face. "The potion the witches used calmed her down, but she's having a fitful sleep."

"She's trying to get back to Puck," Max said, holding out his hands. "It's worse than I thought. Quick, give her to me."

Sally nodded and moved Will into a sitting position. Max took ahold of her head, pressing his thumbs into her chin and forehead. He then murmured something no one could quite make out. As he spoke, Will tossed and turned, moaning as her mind was being tampered with. At one point, she started to lash out and scream at the top of her lungs. Jack and three others had to hold her down while Max finished the task. After five minutes, Max stepped back.

"Willa, listen to me," he called. "You are in control. Do not let whispers possess your actions. Your will is your own. Return to your senses."

Having gotten bored, Zack pushed through the crowds to see what was going on. When he saw Will being held down, and heard the older vampire talking like a psychiatrist to a mental patient, he studied the entire scene. "How long is this going to take?" he asked to the creature next to him, his voice low. He was instantly shushed. "Okay okay, sorry."

Max snapped his fingers in front of her face."Willa. Open your eyes, and awaken from this trance."

A low groan sounded from her lips as Will slowly opened her eyes. "The princess awakens!" Zack said, flailing his hands slightly.

"Zackary Ricard, don't even," Will moaned. She moved away from Sally to sit on her own, but then she was blindsided by an agonizing pain. She gripped her head between her hands and bent over until the world stopped spinning. Sally placed a hand on Will, slowly rubbing her back to offer the girl some comfort.

"Will, how are you feeling?" Jack asked. He figured best to ask before the rest of the town bombarded her with questions.

However, instead of a response, Will held up her hand. Jack wanted to ask what was wrong, but then Will stood to her feet. She was still in her hybrid form, hands clenched at her sides. Without looking at anyone, Will walked over to where Zack stood with Frank. He stepped out of her way toward Frank's head to let Will at the kelpie's side. She glared at Puck, still unconscious from the nightshade cloth.

Jack took a step forward, one hand held out. "Will?" he asked tentatively.

She sighed. "I'm gonna loose it."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm gonna loose my temper. Right now!"

"I don't under– Oh!" Before anyone could blink, Will raised her hand and struck Puck. Her claws left a shallow scratch along his cheek. Will was breathing heavily. Slowly she began to return to her human form as her anger tempered. She did nothing for a moment before turning her head to the left.

"Zack!"

"Y-yes ma'am?" he asked, angled behind Frank's head and neck.

"Take Frank back to Skellington Manor," Will said, her back still facing the crowd. "I'll meet you in a minute."

Zack saluted and took ahold of Frank's reed mane. Giving a small kissing noise, he and the kelpie jogged off, both eager to get away from the raging woman. When he was gone, Will turned back to everyone. Her eyes burned and it was clear she was trying not to loose her temper again. No one spoke. Then, Will bowed her head.

"Sorry to ruin your party…" she began to say, "I hope you all can forgive all the problems that occurred while Puck and I were incapacitated."

"Will, none of this was your fault," Sally began to say.

"Oh, I know that!" Will interrupted. "While I was under, I could still hear and see everything going on, and I just happened to overhear something very interesting."

"What would that be?" Jack asked.

"Something about a mix of booze and truth serum served in that cup Puck drank." Will chuckled, though from the sound of it, there was a touch of something wicked to it. "Look, I'd love to stay and take care of it myself, but we have two seriously drunk friends," she said, "and I have a feeling Zack shouldn't be left alone with Frank. If that water horse is anything like Cesario, then he'll be itching to find Al, and won't take no for an answer."

"If you're sure," Jack replied.

"I am. Sorry for the Patty Party repeat, but maybe next time we call in a babysitter for those bratty trick-or-treaters."

"WHAT!?"

"Yeah, like I said, I overheard those three talking," Will explained. She pointed back towards the direction of the pumpkin patch. "They ran off to hide in the pumpkins, snickering about how clever they were switching the drinks. Something about trying to get back at me, but finding Puck's little performance to be a whole lot funnier."

Jack was trembling, the Soul Robber pulsing a bright red with his anger. "When I get my hands on those three–"

"Jack, please, calm down," Sally inis sited. "I know Lock, Shock and Barrel are in a lot of trouble, but there's no need to lose your temper."

"Sally, I have not even _begun_ to lose my temper!"

"Jack."

At this, an argument started out about how to deal with Oogie's boys—a name that still stuck despite the destruction of the nefarious boogieman—Will sought the opportunity to slip away. Oh, she had wanted to personally take care of the troublesome kids herself. After all, Will had not told Jack _everything_ she had overheard.

"Oh, I could just strangle those three," she muttered as she walked. "Is it wrong that I want to punch a couple children? Al would probably say not. What was it she said last time? 'Poison them, drown them, bash them on the head! I'll find me some chloroform. I don't particularly care how I kill the little beasts, I'm just going to put them twelve feet under!'!"

Will laughed and put in a little more speed before she finally made it back to Skellington Manor. When she arrived, she had to take a moment to compose herself. The sight before her was just too hilarious. Frank was half-rearing while Zack clung to his reed mane.

"Easy boy-o! She'll be back! Easy!" Zack was trying to be comforting, but his voice was high in stress. Frank's eyes rolled white and he full out reared again, giving his haunting Kelpie Scream in hopes that Al would hear him and come running.

"What's the matter, Zack-Attack?" Will called in a teasing tone. "Can't control a little mutated frog-pony?"

"I'm no cowboy and Al has the magic touch with these behemoths!" Zack yelped as Frank landed right on his foot.

"Just get Puck off him," Will said, walking up to the gate. "Frank should head back to the swamp once he realizes Al isn't around."

"What do ya think I've been trying to do?!" Zack yelled, finally managing to release the dead weight on Frank's back. Once free of the body, Frank shook his mighty neck and took off, almost dragging Zack back to the kelpie's watery home.

"Hurry up, Zack!" Will called.

"I just got untangled from a bloody kelpie! Give me a moment to get my soul back in my body!" Zack yelled back. Grabbing the ropes still around Puck, Zack proceeded to skull drag the vampire up the stairs. "This is what ya get, you garlic head," Zack muttered, reaching the top of the stairs.

"You can relax once we get inside," Will commented dryly. "I would've taken you back to your apartment, but I'd rather not have your car parked in front of my apartment all night. Mrs. Trimble already has it out for Al with how often you're over." She smirked when Zack flinched at the mention of her old-fashioned, psychotic, cat-loving neighbor. "Thinking you got a key to our place is really going to upset her precious moral conduct."

"Hey, not my fault your key is the only way into Halloween Town," Zack argued. "I thought Puck would be working all night. Besides, even if I was a pastor coming to sell bibles, she'd still think it indecent."

"Hmm…you have a point there. Okay, just give me a moment while I unlock the door." Will slipped the key from her neck and used it on Jack's door. Once unlocked she opened the door to reveal the entrance to her apartment. It was dark and quiet. Will walked inside and checked on everything. Al was asleep in her bed, but Mogwai, Crepe and Whiskey were kenneled in Kat's bedroom. Will guessed the pets might have made too much racket and Al had corralled them.

Will ran back to the front door. "Okay, Z, all clear."

"I'll start dragging Garlic Bread here and–" Zack was cut off by the buzzing of his phone. He dropped Puck and answered it. "Hello? Yes, this is Zack."

Will ran to Puck, checking to make sure he had not hurt his head. She just had his head lifted up when Zack yelled, "_What?_ Are you kidding me?!"

"What's the matter?" Will asked.

Zack held up his hand, continuing to argue with the other person on the phone. "Well that's not my fault! It was probably Robby that… No I don't… Look would you just… Oh, for the love of Gallifrey, SHUT UP AND LISTEN! I'll be right there and take care of it!" He hung up the phone, clearly annoyed by the call. "This is just fantastic!"

"What now?"

"_Someone_ left the front gate open at work, and now a bunch of stuff is missing, including the ri– um…stuff in the lockers. I gotta go get the security tapes for the cops. You take Puck, okay?"

"WHAT?! I can't take him!" she shouted. "I already have your girlfriend awaiting a mother of a hangover, and now you're trying to dump your drunk roommate on me too!"

"Sorry girl," Zack apologized. "I owe you a chocolate bar."

"Why can't I just leave him at your apartment?"

"Because you would never forgive yourself," Zack said. "Can't leave a drunk alone without supervision. Plus, it's too late to take him back to Halloween Town. I have to leave now, and you can't carry him yourself, Wee Willy."

" Ass…" She paused for a moment to think. A grim scowl made itself present. "Damn it! I hate when you're actually right."

"Love ya too!" Zack said, throwing her a wink. Will moved aside as Zack dragged Puck inside. He threw the vampire on the couch before turning to whisper goodbye and head out the door.

Once he was gone, Will sighed. "Well, guess I better get started."

Will walked into the kitchen and prepared two large pitchers of cold water. She placed the first in Al's room, leavening it on the nightstand along with bottle of Advil and a black mug decorated with a skull and crossbones. After checking to make sure Al was still asleep, Will then tended to her other patient. Puck was sleeping on the couch, though it did not look very comfortable. Since Zack had literally thrown him, the lower half of Puck's body was hanging off the couch, his legs twisted at the hip and one arm slung over the back of the couch, while the other lay across his chest. The real problem was what to do with his wings. They too were sprawled out and made it near impossible to move around.

Gritting her teeth, Will walked over and first moved the coffee table up against the wall to give her more space. Then she went for the wings. They were surprisingly easy to manipulate and she managed fold them so she could get close enough to flip Puck over into his back. Then, after propping his feet on the other end of the couch, Will sat down chair across from Puck. He was too big to fit completely, but this way he would be more comfortable. Will only wished she had been able to find his shirt and shoes. Perhaps in the morning she could send him back to Halloween Town to retrieve them.

Exhaustion from the day finally caught up with her. Standing to stretch, Will then went to the back for a shower and a change of clothes. When she came back, she went to the living room to check the phone for messages. There was one from her boss reminding her to come in early the next morning, another from Mrs. Tanner asking if Al could pick up her brother from the airport, and the last from a telemarketer. Will wrote the messages on a notepad before deleting them. Then she returned to the kitchen to grab the second pitcher of water and a large mug.

While Will had been busy, Puck had turned over in his sleep, propped on left side. His right wing covered him and the floor. Will set the mug and pitcher down on the floor before moving the coffee table. She then tried to fold Puck's wing back into place. She picked it up and moved around to tuck the wing between the back of the couch and Puck. Once she felt it was secure, Will went to replace the table back to its original position. Will placed the mug and water on the table for Puck when he woke. However, when she went to stand her foot caught on the leg of table.

"Ouch! Stupid table." Will opened her eyes, only to find herself sprawled out over Puck's chest. Her face flushed. She tried to move, but to her dismay, Puck shifted in his sleep again. His arms came up and pulled Will on top of him.

"Oh, crap…" Will could not breath. Her eyes widened and her face had gone completely red as she now had less than an inch of space between her and Puck's lips. His hands splayed across the middle of her back, pinning her in place. Every part of her fit into each groove of his body. Never had she been more thankful to have chosen her fleece pants and tank top over one of her more summery night attire. She wished she had left her hair in the towel. Though, she would have preferred not to have ended up in this predicament in the first place!

"Mmm… _Meu amor_," Puck whispered, still within the realm of sleep. Will froze.

_Please don't wake up! Please, oh _please_, don't wake up!_ Will thought, praying she could still have a chance to free herself.

One of Puck's hands traveled further up her back. He stopped when his fingers touched her wet hair. His face seemed perplexed for a moment, before breaking into a playful smirk. "Has my blood orange been enjoying the waterfall?" he asked, eyes still closed, but now his fingers played with strands of Will's hair. "You should have called me." He chuckled. "I would've love to join you."

"Not necessary, thank you," Will muttered. _Just what the hell has he been dreaming?_ The thought made Will pause. Had Puck just unknowingly admitted to dreaming about her?

"Ah, one should never swim the cove alone," Puck responded. Will tensed as his hands were starting to move a little too much. "My adventurous mermaid, what if someone should see you in all your, well, _natural beauty_?"

_Did he just!_ Will bit the inside of her cheek. _Why that– The hell with not waking him!_ Using all her strength, Will pushed her hands off Puck's chest and broke free from his hold. Before thinking twice, she backhanded the side of his face she had struck earlier. The force, plus her hitting along the still healing wound, only added to the pain.

"_Merda!_" Puck screeched. He pressed his hand to the side of his face, squinting his eyes open. "What's going…Wait, why–"

"Ferdinando Stefan Dracul, you are positively the WORST!" Will yelled, not caring if she woke the block, let alone Al. "I should've dumped your sorry ass in your apartment. But no! I had to be nice and make sure you didn't get alcohol poisoning or something!"

"Will?" Puck winced. His head pounded like a drum "How do you know my name? And why did you hit me? More importantly, why are you straddling me?"

"Get your drunk head out of the gutter for one second, will you!" Will removed herself and walked over to the kitchen. She was at her breaking point. If she did not get away from him soon, she did not count on the vampire lasting the night. "I'm going to check on Al," she said, refusing to look at him. "Just… Oh, I don't give a rat's butt what you do, just stay the hell away from me."

Puck watched as she disappeared in the back of the house. At first, all he could focus on was the pain in his head. Yet Will's outburst was not something he could just ignore. He could not think as to why she would be angry with him. He tried to remember the past few hours. What had he done? Why was Will so mad she appeared to want him dead? And why on this green earth was he half naked?!

He could not recall one thing. If he was going to get any answers, they would have to be from Will.

Puck slowly got to his feet. His head was ready to tumble from his body and moving seemed to only make the pain worse. He wrapped his wings tight to his body to make a cape. Once he felt capable of walking straight, Puck made his way toward the back of the house. Soon he found himself standing in front of one of the bedroom doorways. He could hear movement inside, but before he could knock, the sound of Will's voice froze him in place.

"Why are guys such asses? You think they're nice but then they turn out to be complete jerks!"

Leaning in closer, Puck peered inside the door. He could see Al snoring softly in the bed. She was completely out of it. The smell of alcohol reminded him that the girl had overindulged at the party. However, it was the small sniffling that caught his attention. Will's back was too him but he did not need to see her face to know she was crying.

"I know it was the alcohol, but isn't that supposed to bring out someone's true nature?" Will asked. "I really thought Puck would be different, but aren't I entitled to a little anger? I mean, the guy couldn't keep his hands to himself, and to make it worse, he hypnotized me! I don't know how I'll be able to show my face in Halloween Town without dying from embarrassment."

Puck took a step back. He had done _what_?!

"Ugh! I wish I could just forget this whole day!" Will moaned, dropping her head onto the bed. "Like it wasn't bad when everyone wanted to make a big deal about my birthday, but then both Puck and you get drunk, and though Puck's was sabotaged, he still went and hypnotized me. And the worst part of it all, Puck can't keep his damn ear away from the door!"

"Yikes!" Puck backed up from the door, but he could not escape before Will barged out. She quickly shut the door before addressing him.

"Living room. Now."

Puck wasted no time. Though it made him dizzy, he quickly found his way back to the couch. He sat down and waited for Will. She was not far behind. She did not sit down, but instead paced the room. Watching her made Puck's head swim, but he did not want to turn away from her. Will looked at him occasionally. Each time he met the ice in her eyes felt like a dagger, piercing his chest.

"Will, I…"

"Just stop!" Will stilled. The coffee table remained the only barrier between them. "I don't want to hear any of your excuses, okay," she said. She took a calming breath before meeting his gaze. "Just… I don't even know what to say to you anymore."

Puck was silent. He could see how he had hurt her. Part of him wanted to defend himself. After all, it was a spiked drink that caused all this. How could he have been so careless? He still did not know how the cups had been switched; he refused to partake in any alcohol after the incident with the office party, so it confounded him that he had not detected any liquor in his cup. Whatever else had been added to the drink must have masked the smell of alcohol. However, looking at Will, Puck knew that any excuse would not convince her he was not in control.

"Will, I know-I know I don't deserve to ask for forgiveness, and I don't recall all that happened tonight," he began, hoping he could convince her. "But whatever I did, I promise, I will do whatever it takes to make this up to you."

"Make it up to me? That's a laugh," Will mocked. "You manhandle me in front of everyone, then you hypnotized me and made me…" She stopped to keep herself from screaming at him. "So much for not ever forcing yourself on others."

"Will, I never wanted to do that to you," Puck argued.

"So, it was just the booze talking then?"

"I'm not going to make any excuses, but I do regret that I hurt you. I can't apologize enough for the thing I've done. I just… I just want you to know how truly, deeply sorry I am that it happened."

Will held his gaze for a moment. She knew it was not Puck's fault, not really. The trick-or-treaters put the alcoholic concoction in the cup. Still, part of her could not overlook that they had added some sort of truth serum to the mix as well. Everything Puck said and did, no matter how much was influenced by liquor, held some form of truth. Daring to look him in the eye, Will did not say a word, but her hard gaze began to soften. Despite everything he did look regrettably sorry for what happened.

Will sighed. "I forgive you," she said. "Look, I'll check in on what punishment Jack gave Lock, Shock and Barrel tomorrow. Right now I need to keep an eye on you and Al. She's set for the night, but you look like you could use some Aspirin."

"Do you have anything stronger?" he asked. "My head feels like a bat colony is flying about in my skull."

Will stood to her feet. "I'll try to sneak the Advil from Al's room without awakening the Beast. Try drinking some cold water in the meantime."

Puck looked at the water pitcher in mild disgust. "No thanks," he said.

"Drink. Your stomach may not feel like it, but cold water really does help with the nausea," Will explained. She took the pitcher and poured some water into the mug before handing it to Puck. "Plus, it's supposed to help stave off a hangover."

Will waited for Puck to drink before walking back to Al's room. She managed to retrieve two pills without waking her friend. When she returned to the living room, Puck had already finished half the pitcher. He still seemed buzzed but he looked less green. She handed him the Advil.

"Thanks." He took the pills and set the mug back on the counter. "I'm a little better now," he said. "I'll call a cab to drive me home."

"Not gonna happen," Will argued. Puck tried to protest but Will stopped him. "Look, Zack won't be home till who-knows-when, so I'm not letting you be alone while you're still tipsy. Not to mention Zack would rag on me for leaving you after he made me promise to look after you."

"But…"

"Not buts except yours back on that couch," Will insisted.

Puck chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now, just relax. Do you want me to make you something to eat?" she asked.

"No, I should be fine till morning," Puck answered. "I think I'll just rest."

"Well, that's a relief," Will said. Then she yawned. "Okay, well, I'm off to bed. I need a couple hours to forget this mess of a day, plus the craziness I'll have to deal with when little Party Girl wakes up."

"Will, wait!"

Will turned around and looked at Puck perplexingly. "Something else you need?" she asked.

"No," he answered. "I just wanted to give you your birthday present." Puck reached into his left pocket and pulled out a small red velvet bag. "I somehow managed to hang on to it during my little, uh, episode."

"Oh, Puck, I told you guys I didn't want to make a big deal about all that," Will objected.

Puck chuckled. "Sorry, sweet Willa, but I would not be a gentleman if I overlooked my lady friend's birthday," he said. "Besides, I need to do something to make up for my behavior. Now, close your eyes."

Will raised an eyebrow.

"Now, now. I promise no shenanigans," he assured her. "Trust me, please?"

Will paused, making Puck very nervous, but eventually she closed her eyes. Puck smiled and then removed the item from the pouch. He walked up behind her and placed it around her. "Okay, you can look now."

His breath on her ear set Will on edge, but she did open her eyes. She looked down and was in awe. Hanging around her neck was a silver chain connected to beautiful silver roses and vines wrapping around gem wand of deep blue. Even in the dark, Will could not believe how beautifully the gem sparkled. She turned her head so she could look at Puck.

"It's beautiful."

"Well, I know how you love crystals, so I called in a favor back home," Puck explained, blushing as he talked. "My old college roommate is a geologist, even going out to find his own gems to sell. I don't know anything myself, so I gave him a description of you and the kind of necklace I wanted, and he designed this. I thought a simple birthstone necklace wasn't special enough, so I asked for that blue garnet to be added into the metal etching. I insisted it be one carat."

Will gasped. "You mean this is a real gem?!" She looked closer at the necklace. Sure enough, a tiny blue stone had been placed in the center of one of the flower etchings. It was beautiful, though she was not one to tell the difference between cubic zirconium and a real gemstone.

"Of course, as is the Aquamarine," Puck said proudly. "I also had the witches put a protection spell around it, so you'll never loose it. That blue garnet alone values at 1.5 million."

"WHAT?! Puck, I can't accept this. It's _way_ too much!"

"Sorry, Willa, no returns," Puck teased, taking a step back. "The necklace is yours. It is a gift, so please, enjoy it."

"Puck, I… I don't know what to say." Will looked down at the pendant. It was beautiful. Not too large or gaudy, but holding a natural beauty all its own that shined through to the surface. The tiny garnet even charmed her with it's deep sea-blue against the light grey-blue of the Aquamarine. However, it was the thought behind it that made the gift special.

Taking ahold of the necklace, Will turned around, smiling up at Puck. "Thank you. I love it." She then leaned upward and place a soft kiss on Puck's cheek.

"Uh…" Puck gulped. "Y-You're welcome."

Will giggled. "You really need to stop doing that," she teased. "Doing incredibly sweet things like this, a girl is obliged to kiss you in appreciation."

Puck only became more flustered.

"Okay, okay. It's late, and me keeping you up isn't going to help with your headache tomorrow."

Puck sighed. "Yes, rest would be good."

"There's some extra blankets and pillows in the closet," Will said, walking towards her room. "Use whatever. Oh! Do you like kiełbasa? I'm was thinking of making eggs for breakfast, but I can make something else for you if you'd like."

"That sounds fine. I look forward to sampling your cooking."

"Easy, Ferdinando," Will warned, a playful smirk playing along her mouth. "You may have been intoxicated, but you're still on probation for earlier."

"You're never going to give me peace about me name, are you?" Puck asked.

"Nope and neither will Zack," Will said. "And just wait until he tells Al." Puck groaned, making Will laugh. "Goodnight Puck."

"Sweet dreams." Puck watched as will disappeared into her bedroom. Despite everything, he had managed to stay within her good graces. He waited until he was sure Will had fallen asleep before retrieving the pillows and blankets from the closet. He considered sleeping on the ceiling, but scrapped the idea, recalling Al's initial reaction to bats in her presence.

As Puck settled down into his makeshift bed, he stared after Will's bedroom door. As his eyes became heavy, Puck had one last thought before his mind succumbed to sleep.

_I love her._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Chocolate Eggs and Surprises**

_Easter…_

"Zack, would you relax already!" Will scolded. She would have to remind him that it is not easy for a girl to talk on the phone while putting on stockings. "The party is going to be great. No alcohol, lots of dancing, and Al will be dressed like an anime bunny-girl." She switched the phone to speaker before attempting the stockings again.

"Just relax. You already got me to make sure all the guests are wearing rabbit ears, dressing fancy, and that the girls have dresses that match the color of their ears. Still mad at that, you know."

"Who the blue blazes are you talking to?" Al called from the hallway.

"The Easter Bunny! Now would you go put on your face, you nosey fox," Will yelled back. "Look Zack, I gotta go. Your girlfriend is having a crisis and if she finds me talking to you, it'll ruin everything. See you later." Will hung up the phone before walking out to find Al racing around half dressed looking for her left shoe, and Kat waiting in the living room. She was on the phone with the groomers. With Zack's party going on, the girls had decided to board the pets that weekend.

Will waited for Kat to hang up before asking, "So what's the word on the kids?"

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?" Kat replied, slipping her phone into her purse. She watched Will's eyes widen with concern. "The good news is the Whiskey met a dog named Henry, and they became fast friends. The bad news is that they now have to be isolated from the other dogs because they have formed an alliance, took all of the toys, and guarded them with snarling teeth. Whiskey pinned a Great Dane down because he, the Great Dane, took a squeaky toy. Also, I think that the Great Dane was Prince, Russell Wilson's dog. So that happened."

"Russell Wilson? You mean that guy from the football team?" Will asked. "Is he the one who eats skittles?"

"No, he's quarterback for the Seattle _Seahawks_ and it's the NFL," Kat said in a slightly condescending tone. "But you were close though."

Kat got up off the couch to head for her room. "Did Zack seriously have to color coordinate?" she groaned, throwing her hands in the air with gumption.

"At least we got to pick our own clothes," Will commented, though she agreed with Kat. Zack had specifically assigned the three girls colors: Al would dress in blue, Kat was in pink, and Will was given chocolate brown. Apparently, the guys would be receiving a colored bow tie at the party to match their dates. Anyone single would be without a tie and receive a special penalty from the host.

"This so stupid," Kat groaned, "and why does it have to be on a Sunday?"

"You're just mad because there's no alcohol."

"There's no what now?!" Kat asked, stopping and turning around to stare at Will in disbelief. "And how does he think I am supposed to get through the night?"

"At least there won't be any kids this time," Al stated, struggling into her shoe.

"Let's just hurry. The party starts in half an hour and we still need to do hair and make up." Will watched Al run back into her room. Kat went into the kitchen to get a drink—probably a glass of Riesling. Will decided she should finish getting ready too.

She slipped back into her room and put on the rest of her outfit. It was humorous just how different their outfits were. Kat had chosen a knee length, sleeveless dress with a snow-white base color. Different shades of pink and red splotches infused together were scattered about to look like abstract flowers. The dress flared slightly as the waist and had a high scoop neck cut. She wore pink heeled shoes and a set of matching bunny ears, tying it all together.

Meanwhile, Will and Al had gone to a costume shop and purchased bunny girl outfits. Al's was very similar to that of a traditional Play Boy bunny rabbit, tail and all. Will had chosen a light brown dress with puffed sleeves. The dress had a large cotton tail sewn to the back, and came with matching gloves, a chocolate apron, and rabbit feet shaped shoes. Will had passed on the rabbit feet and gloves, and had gotten a pair of brown lace up boots instead. She was all set except for her hair; she just could not decide on what style would look best with the bunny ears.

_Ring!_

"DOOR!" Kat called. "This is going to be a long night." Sounds of clinking glass and liquid being poured interpreted that Kat was about to down another glass of wine.

Ignoring it, Will went back to her hair. She was still struggling to find the right look. She could hear voices outside her door, but she focused on trying to straighten the top layer of her hair. She had gotten a small section done when there was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" she called. She heard the door click and turned around to find Puck standing there. "Hey stranger, what are you doing here?"

"Zack sent me to pick you all up, though Kat's boyfriend arrived as I did, so she will go with him."

"Well, he better take Al too. I still haven't a clue what to do with my hair." Will scoffed. "The rare occasion I actually care how it looks. Oh, why did I think I could straighten it in under thirty minutes?"

"Would you like some assistance?" Puck asked.

"Ha! Thanks, but unless you're some secret miracle hairstylist, I doubt there's anything that can be done."

"Only braiding and straightening." Will cocked an eyebrow in surprise. Puck laughed. "Shocking, I know, but I used to wear my hair much longer," he admitted, walking up behind her. "My mother got fed up with trying to convince me to shorten it, so she made me learn how to care for and style it. I think she was hoping I'd give in and cut it."

"I can relate. Did the short cut once; never again," Will joked. "I usually don't cut it, and styling can be a pain with a sensitive scalp and long, thick hair. But I doubt you could do any worse than it is now."

"Does this mean you're willing to let me try?" Puck asked with a hopeful smile.

Will shrugged, turned her back to the mirror, and handed him the brush. He gladly took it and began. As he worked, Will was pleasantly surprised. The brush glided through her hair, and Puck seemed to have a way of undoing knots and tangles without pulling. Will felt herself relax under his hands.

"What's the purpose of this party again?" Puck asked.

Will snapped open her eyes. _Did I just fall asleep there?_ she thought. She looked at Puck in the mirror. "It's just a little thing Zack wanted to do," she replied. "We've all been busy lately, and I think he wanted to throw a party to bring back a little excitement. He is kind of vain about getting older and loosing his party status."

"I wouldn't say he's vain per se," he noted, putting the brush down. He then picked up the flatiron. "Though I feel it's more likely he wants Al to remember this party."

Will gave a very unladylike snort. "No kidding. She woke up after St. Patty's feeling like a train wreck and had almost no memory of anything. I don't think I could've gotten her to eat without you using your telekinesis on her."

"Guess it was fortunate…" Puck took a small section of Will's hair and separated it into strands. Then he picked up the hot iron. He became very focused on his task. "Certainly one of the most memorable birthdays for you."

"Hey, you're already off probation, remember?" Will teased. "And you earned major brownie points for sending those brats into a panic. Never thought they'd be the type to be scared of bats. I don't think they'll set foot in their treehouse for weeks."

Puck chuckled. "You may be right. It's a suitable place for them with all the insects investing the tree."

"Could switch them out for pigeons," Will suggested. "When those things find a roost, they don't leave."

"Then Lock, Shock, and Barrel might move in with you in retaliation."

"No thank you!" They both laughed.

"Okay, just one last thing and then you're done," Puck said.

"What do you mean…" Before Will could finish her question, Puck stood back. Will looked into the mirror and could not believe her eyes. Her hair was completely straight. It fell almost to the small of her back, making it much longer than it usually appeared.

Will stood and turned around. "Puck, you're awesome!" she said before hugging him. "I can't believe you did this in twenty minutes. It takes Kat nearly an hour to straighten my hair."

Puck hugged her back. "What, no kiss?" he asked playfully.

Will laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Fixing a girl's hair isn't on that level," she said. Will then retrieved two necklaces for her jewelry box. The first was her skeleton key, the other her birthday necklace. She slipped her key into a little purse. As she was about to slip on the other necklace, Puck stepped in, taking it from her hand. Smiling, Will moved her hair back so Puck could do the clasp. Then he picked up the bunny ears laying on her vanity and placed them atop Will's head.

Will turned around with an impish grin. "What would I do without you?" she teased.

"Still be trying to get ready," Puck stated, though he was thinking, _She's so cute in that dress._ He kept the thought to himself, instead looking down at his watch. It was already five o'clock. "We better get going or we'll be late."

"And if that happens, Zack will never let me hear the end of it," Will said. "He's got me working the room so everything's set for tonight. Making sure there's food, plenty of dancing, and everyone's wearing their colors. By the way, what's your color?" She pointed to Pucks outfit. "Zack swears he'll throw Easter eggs at anyone showing up stag."

"The guys receive their bow ties at the event, remember? I just have to tell Zack who I'm with." Puck started turning a little red and he drew his gaze from her. "And I was thinking…well, I was wondering if, maybe, you and I…"

Will paused, tapping her finger to her chin. "I don't know… I guess since my previous date canceled. The Easter Bunny was supposed to escort me, but it's kinda his holiday, so he's busy." She smirked. "Eh, what the heck! Throw on some ears and you'll be an easy substitute."

"Very funny."

Will stuck out her tongue and then left the room, Puck following after. When they got outside, Will quickly locked up the apartment. However, when she started walking out to the curb, she was greeted with the sight of Puck opening the passenger side of a black 2013 Hennessey Venom GT Spyder.

"Seriously Puck? What happened to your Camaro?"

"Late Christmas gift from my father," he explained. "Said my other car was too old even for this century. If it helps, I made my brother take the Veyron."

**XXX**

"Oh, can't you just feel it!" Eros cried. "A young girl in the spring of first love."

"Eros, please, we need to keep quiet," Jack hushed. He was beginning to see why Valentine asked him to stay with the angel. "If we're caught, there'll be consequences."

"Now Jacky, I do know what I'm doing. I still don't see why we have to skulk about these bushes." Eros looked down in disgust as his favorite outfit was getting poked by the shrubbery. "Honestly! I just had this chiton dry-cleaned!"

"I know you're upset," Jack said, "but Valentine made it clear we were not to be seen, only observe. Doesn't he still have you on probation?"

The angel pouted. "Use one little love arrow on the wrong person and Vally grounds me," he complained. "Honestly! I'm older than him by centuries, and he has the audacity to treat me like a child. No flying. No archery. No invisibility! It's positively barbaric!"

"Please calm down," Jack said. "Valentine said something was going to happen today, and he wanted a report. You volunteered because Will was part of it."

Eros calmed, a dreamy smile coming to his face. "Ah yes! My stubborn blossom has finally bloomed," he whispered. "I was tickled pink when I learned she began dating. I wanted to congratulate her immediately, but silly sweetie had to go and be secretive. Just like a modern Romeo and Juliet. It's so romantic!"

Suddenly, the car pulled out of the driveway. Eros gasped and grabbed Jack by his wrist. "Hurry up, Jacky, or we'll loose them."

Jack reluctantly allowed Eros to drag him along. Occasionally he had to pull them back into the alleyways when they came to close encounters with people on the street. Yet Eros was oblivious in his mad dash to find out what was going to happen at this party.

_I'm beginning to understand why Valentine stayed behind…_

**XXX**

The party was in full swing. The lights, music, the food; everything was decorated to fit an Easter party. The decorations consisted of giant egg props, egg-shaped balloons, and streamers of blue, pink, purple, and green. The tables were set up with all kinds of sweet treats:chocolate eggs, cakes, cookies, brownies, and mountains of candy. The punch bowl was filled with fruit punch Capri Sun, and of course, everyone was dressed like fancy rabbits.

Zack was talking with some of the guests when Will and Puck walked in. He excused himself to welcome them.

"Hey you two," Zack greeted with a wide smile.

"Hey Zack. Looking sharp," Will said, laughing at how he appeared like the March Hare after it had stolen Doctor Who's suite. Her eyes drifted to scan the room. "Looks like you added some extra decor."

"You know me." Zack tugged on his jacket and touched his hat. "I'm just a flare for the dramatics."

"No kidding! It looks like the Mad Hatter threw a party for the White Rabbit and the Easter Rabbit with Pinkie Pie as the party planner."

Puck laughed. "Not what I would say, but she makes a point."

Zack stuck his tongue out. "A party's gotta have some party to it," he said. "Otherwise, it's a bunch of stiffs drinking with no purpose. And that is no fun. Speaking of things that _are_ fun, where is my lady?" He looked around but the girl in question was nowhere in sight. "I worry when I can't see her."

"Funny, I recall you having a different reaction on St. Patrick's day," Will said dryly. "But in any case, I thought she was here already."

"She should've gotten here before us," Puck added. "Remember? She went with Kat and Val, and they left well before we did."

Zack started to panic. "What'd ya mean she's supposed to be here by now? I haven't seen her. This cannot be happening!" He clenched and unclenched his fists in rapid succession.

Will walked over and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Dude, chill! Everything's going to be fine." Will then lowered her voice so Puck would not hear her. "You've been planning for this, and if you recall, I've dealt with these types of jitters before. Trust me! Things will go just as planned if not better. Any moment now, Al will come bursting through those doors and knock you outta your shorts."

"You had better be right, Will. I'm more wound up that a crated puppy dog at dinner time," he said, scratching his jaw nervously. "Where the Sam Hill is she?" he asked when the doors opened.

There stood Al, flanked by Kat and Val, strutting her stuff. Will and Puck smiled when Zack could not keep his jaw from dropping. It was clear he liked her bunny outfit.

"Why hello my sexy March Hare," Al said, coming up and kissing him boldly. "Love the décor, by the way."

"Where'd you guys go?" Will interrupted. "We left almost thirty minutes after you."

"I like to meddle in affairs of the _thump_ _thump_." Al raised a suggestive eyebrow and giggled. "Besides, I need to make an entrance."

"Haha, very funny. But seriously, where were you?"

"Had to pick something up," Kat quickly explained, waving her hand in the air as to distract them from the question. She turned to Val and moved her head toward the punch bowl in a pointing direction. Val gave her a wink.

"On it, babe." Val ran over to where Kat had pointed. He was carrying a couple of large bags. He set them down on the counter, and began taking out several items: apples, oranges, red wine, and Brandy. "Everything's all set for you," Val called. Recognizing what they would be used for, Will glared at Kat.

"Are you kidding me?" Will hissed at her. "You do realize we're not twenty-one, nor are we in Mexico. _Why_ did you bring sangria?"

"Oh my god! Keep your pants on. Now sure how you expect anyone to have fun with no booze. Do you remember that wedding we went to that didn't serve alcohol?" Kat questioned.

"No," Will said blankly.

"Exactly." Kat slowly backed away to prepare the drink as Will rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You know what, I'm not even gonna try to argue with you," Will groaned, rubbing her temples. "I'll just collect car keys and make sure we have cabs to get people home. Excuse me."

"Work it sister!" Al cat called, watching her go. She then turned her attention to Zack. "Well, what's on the agenda, my dashing one?"

"Well…um…party," Zack said, tearing his eyes away from her sultry outfit.

Puck snickered. "Looks like you're having trouble," he teased. "I thought it was the cat that got the tongue, not the rabbit."

"Bunny!" Al corrected.

"Sorry. You know, I think I'll go help out Will."

As he ran off after her, Zack turned to Al and Kat. "Hey, you girls noticed how chummy those two have been?"

"Yeah, I noticed," Al said, squinting her eyes and tilting her head.

"Yeah, it's been that way for a while now…" Kat said.

"I don't think they know," Val whispered ever so quietly in Kat's ear.

"I'm just saying, it seems like they're a little too friendly," Zack added.

"You guys, they–" Kat was cut off by a hand on her arm.

Al was quiet for a moment. Her hand stayed still on Kat's arm, but everyone could see the wheels turning in her head. Then, her eyes widened and she started bouncing up and down, quietly screaming, "Sweet mother of mutation, THEY'RE DATING!"

"You didn't know?!" Kat exclaimed.

"You did?!" Al snarled, unable to believe what she was hearing. Even Zack was shocked.

"Don't look at me like that. Val was the one who told me. He figured it out!" Kat pointed to Val, outing him. "He spotted them coming out of the library last month."

"They've been going there several times, and each time I saw them hugging," Val explained. "A couple times Puck even kissed Will's cheek."

Al glared at Val while reaching her hand out to strangle his neck. "Imma _kill_ you!"

"I'm gonna go make the sangria now," Val said nervously. As he turned and briskly walked away, Al stood next to Kat, returned her hands to her side, but was still steaming.

"I can't believe she kept this from me," Al hissed.

"It would make sense," Zack argued. "We do tease them, not to say we won't after this. Makes sense they'd keep it on the down-low."

"This is true. I'm horrid at keeping secrets," Al said, nodding her head slightly.

"I just can't think how I missed it. Puck has been super spazzy lately. Not to mention he went all out for her birthday," Zack continued, thinking back. "He kept asking me about Will's likes, dislikes, and what type of jewelry she wears, but I never thought he'd get her something like that. You see the size of that rock?"

Al pouted. "Why wouldn't he ask me?"

"Or me?" Kat added. "We're her friends. Even if the guy is super weird." She shivered, remembering the first time she met Puck.

"Probably didn't want to be obvious going to the besties," Zack suggested.

"I was wondering where she got that," Al said. "She hardly takes it off."

"I think it's sweet," Kat said in a childish tone. "God knows that… Wait, quiet, they're coming back."

Will and Puck walked up. Will had a large plastic bag in hand, and Puck was straightening his newly acquired rabbit ears.

"Well, we wrangled up most of the keys, but we'll need to– What are you guys whispering about?" Will asked, handing the bag over to Puck. "You all got really quiet and Al looks like a fox caught in the henhouse."

Al started to form words, but couldn't make a quick come back. Ever her knight, Zack came to her rescue. "We were placing bets on if Puck would get drunk again," he said with a dark smile and a wink.

Al backed his lie. "It's ten to one against," she stated, smiling at the end of her sentence. She started to look like a mix of the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter from Tim Burton's rendition of _Alice in Wonderland_. Her face looked ready to crack.

Will rolled her eyes. "Seriously you guys? When did we go back to sixth grade?"

"Did you have a betting problem when you were in sixth grade? I think not! It is perfectly normal to place bets on one man's sobriety. Now, what is your bet?" Kat rambled trying to make the lie more sensible.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Puck asked suspiciously. He knew they were all lying by the sound of their erratic heartbeats. However, to call them on it would raise suspicion. Will, Al, and Zack still had not revealed their secret to Kat and her boyfriend.

"You had better believe it," Al said, giving him a glare and stepping in front of Zack.

"Okay, let's get you as far away from him as possible," Kat interjected, cautiously steering Al away from Puck.

"Well, that was weird," Will said, eyeing her friends suspiciously. "Anyway, why don't we ignore whatever just happened, and focus on having fun. It's a party! I say we grab a bucket of that dessert buffet and then hit the dance floor."

"Don't forget the sangria!" Kat added.

**XXX**

A couple hours later, the party was starting to liven up. More people were either going off a massive sugar rush, or they were getting too tipsy. Will had spent most of the time trying to keep Al away from Kat's sangria. She specifically needed to ensure her friend stayed sober tonight.

"Will, I want sangria!" Al whined, tugging on said girl's arm.

"Ally, this isn't Halloween Town. You're not legal to drink," Will insisted, tugging back. "I'm not explaining to your mother why you got arrested. Again."

"But it's sangria!" Al countered, knowing her argument was all in vain.

Will laughed. "Say, why don't you hit the dance floor?" she asked, patting Al on the back. "Kat and Val look like they're having fun. Bet you and Zack could show them up."

As she spoke, the very couple Will spoke of danced their way over to them. Val spun Kat once before he let her go to talk with her friends. "Hey, who ordered the oversized rabbit?" Kat asked, pointing her thumb at the door.

"Rabbit?" Both Al and Will looked to the front door. Standing there was someone dressed in a Rubie's Easter Bunny costume, complete with white jumpsuit, a yellow vest and tie with multicolored polkadots, and matching rabbit head and feet. He carried a large basket filled with colored tissue paper.

Will laughed as she looked on. "Oh no. Please tell me Zack didn't hire an Easter Bunny?" she mocked, watching the "rabbit" hop around the room. "That thing would scare small children."

"And Al…" Kat said. She smirked and pointed to Al.

Al stared at the rabbit and slowly backed herself away. She slid behind Will and let out a small whimper. "That…is scary…" she whispered, and it seemed like even her ears bowed back in fear.

"I guess, but hey! It looks like he's giving the guests something," Will pointed out.

"Ohmagod! It's coming this way. Everyone look away!" Kat said quickly and quietly. When the rabbit hopped toward them, he held out his hand to Kat. It appeared that he wanted to give her something. Despite the smile on the mask, the rabbit acted nervous, like a shy schoolboy with a crush. Kat gave him an are-you-kiding-me look.

"You really expect me to take that?" The rabbit just nodded. He pushed his hand closer to her.

"Thanks?" Kat said. She opened her hand to accept whatever it was, if only to make the guy leave her alone. When she looked, she found that a plastic pink egg had been dropped into her hand. "What the hell is this?"

Al pointed an accusatory finger at the egg. "Is it a bomb?! I bet it's some sort of explosive device!"

The rabbit mimed a laugh and then moved over to Will. For some reason, it paused, appearing to have forgotten what to do. Will cleared her throat. "Well, uh, Mr. Rabbit," she began, "am I to guess you got an egg for me too?"

The rabbit nodded and held out a large purple egg to her. Unlike Kat, the rabbit did it very bashfully.

"Why, thank you, good sir," she teased, taking the egg. The rabbit folded his hands behind his back and kicked one foot, twisting from side-to-side. Will laughed. "Aww! How cute. In a…really weird way."

"It's all a trick!" Al said. She pushed her way forward and held out her hand to the rabbit. "But I want one too."

However, when the rabbit reached into his basket, he came up empty.

"Can you check again?" Al asked, creeping out slightly.

The rabbit turned his basket upside down and shook it out. Nothing. He looked back at Al, shrugging his shoulders.

Al quirked her lips in annoyance. "Totally fair, guy… Totally fair." She crossed her arms.

"Easy Ally, don't take it out on the rabbit," Will urged. She tried to move between them, but Al held up her hands.

"Just saying this it totally fair," her voice laced with sarcasm.

"Al, wait!" Everyone looked up to see Zack coming forward. "Come here for a sec and don't rip his head off," he said to her.

"And why should I not?" Al asked. "I'd like an egg too…please…"

"Loveling, I've got your egg right here." Zack held up the missing egg. It was smaller than the ones the other guests received, and colored a robin's egg blue. "I wanted to give it to you personally"

"Ooo pretty! Gimme, please," Al demanded.

"Hold your horses, my Ally Cat. I kept this egg so I could do this." Zack opened up the egg, revealing a round-cut fourteen carat diamond in a white-gold band. He got down on one knee.

"What…"

Zack smiled. "Can I have everyone be quiet for a minute because this took me a month to rehearse," he called out to their audience. "Seriously, I don't wanna repeat myself here."

"What the f…" Kattrina started, but Val covered her mouth before she could finish.

When the room became silent, and all eyes were focused on them, Zack turned his attention back to Al. She was staring blankly with her mouth partially open in shock. Was this really happening? He smiled and took one of her hands to prevent her from escaping. Her eyes met his. They spoke of confusion, disbelief, and anticipation.

"Alice, we've been going steady now for two years. I probably wouldn't even have met you if not for that mix up at the theater. I had gone in thinking I'd be seeing _Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters_, and I happen to sit next to this cute girl wearing a Deadpool T-shirt. I do some small talk, thinking I'm never going to talk to her after this. But then the film breaks, so they played _Mama_. Next thing I know, the girl—which is you—starts curling up against me, some total stranger you don't even know. You flinched and shrieked for two straight hours, but you still clung to me like I was some childhood friend. I couldn't believe it! I coulda been some creep or a pervert for all you knew, but you still looked to me each time you were scared. Afterwards, I walked you to your car. I didn't think I still had a shot, but I gave you my number, and told you to call me if you got scared. Who'd thought you'd call me six times that night!"

The whole room laughed. Even Al could not stifle a few giggles. "And four times the next day," she added.

"On the fifth call I asked you out for coffee," Zack continued, unable to keep a teasing tone from his voice. "And the rest, as they say, is history."

While Zack continued with his proposal, Puck and Val were standing behind Will and Kat, watching the spectacle.

"Bet you didn't see this coming, did you, Kat?" Will asked, whispering in Kat's ear.

Kat leaned over to Will, whispering, "Not today, not now, but how'd you know?"

"Oh, I knew he would propose, but not how he'd do it," Will confessed. "I'm just glad I talked him out of filming it."

"Who knows? You could be next," Kat said, winking at Will.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Shh! I think he's coming to the end," Puck said.

At this point, Zack stood, still holding onto Al's hand. She looked up, wondering when he would get to it because the suspense was killing her. However, Zack gave her the half smile he knew made her knees weaken. Making Al wait always made her final reaction more fun.

"I'm not the most romantic. I have conversations with people without saying a word. Okay, I only do it once in a blue moon, and I'd be really mad if this whole thing was in my head." At this he paused and turned to Will. "Seriously Willy, this is why I wanted it on film!" he shouted.

"Just get to it, Zack-Attack!" Will called back.

"Alright, alright." Zack turned back to Al. Everyone was snickering, making his face flush a little. "_Now_ we are getting down to tacks of brass. Al, I can honestly say I've never met anyone like you. You're bold. Honest. You can command a twelve hundred pound horse like a champ, yet you have a tender side of you. Don't blush, Ally, you know you're obsessively loving when we're at your parents house watching over their dog."

"He's totally my dog. They are just in denial," Al interrupted. "But, seriously, what is happening right now?"

"Haha, I'm getting to it," Zack said. "Look, I know I'm not always the most crazy guy around, but Ally, you have enough crazy for both of us. I've had some people tell me I must have a saint's patience, or a way to tone down your crazy. I tell those losers to drop dead. There's nothing—not one single fiery hair on your head—that I would change. Every day with you is like opening a present. I never know what I'm gonna get, and I'm always surprised with something completely amazing. I can't imagine one day of my life without you beside me.

"I know there's still things you want to do before settling down. Finish school and finally quit that job that makes you madder than a wet cat. Though I'll still hope for those bad days because I want to find ways to make you feel better. I'm not saying we gotta fly off to Vegas right now, and I'm not about to tell you I have a minister hiding backstage. Because I don't, and if I did, your dad and brother would hunt me down and gut me like a fish, while your mom provided the alibi. But what I _am_saying, what I am _asking_ you…"

Zack turned Al's hand over and deposited the ring into her palm. He folded her fingers over the ring and brought her hand to his lips. After kissing her knuckles, he enfolded her hand in both of his.

"I couldn't think of anything in all the nine realms that would make me happier, than to call you my wife. Al Tanner, will you marry me?"

Al gaped at him, her mouth dropping a little more. Her free hand flew to her mouth and covered it as tears welled in her eyes. The only thing keeping her in placed was Zack's hand holding hers. Otherwise, she would have run. However, unlike the year before when Zack had asked her—and she had taken off in a flash—she fully intended on staying right where she was. Slowly lowering her hand, her wide smile revealed, and she said, "I won't run this time."

"That's a relief," Zack breathed, chuckling. "So, that's a yes?"

"Of course!" Al shrieked, throwing herself at him. He caught her easily and stood to swing her in a circle as the whole room erupted in applause.

Holding hands, Zack and Al turned to face the cheering crowds. Zack lifted up their joined hands and shouted, "Did everyone see that? Because I will **NOT** be doing it again."

Everyone laughed and Al beamed before kissing his cheek. The room then drowned in several well wishes for the newly engaged couple. When the crowds finally dispersed, Will and Kat ran over to Al, swarming her as they screamed in sheer excitement.

"We need to start discussing details right now!" Will said, the smile never leaving her face.

"Well, we already know who's planning the whole thing," Al declared, looking at Kat. "I think you called it while we were in Chelan. Just remember, no birds!"

"Oh crap!" Kat exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Will asked, a little concerned.

"Now I have to plan a wedding…as if I weren't busy enough…" Kat trailed on, half talking to herself.

While the girls plotted, Val and Puck were doing their part in congratulating Zack. They patted him on the back while Zack kept his wild smile on his face.

"I didn't actually think I'd get through it all," Zack exclaimed. "I thought I'd blow it for sure."

"I think you did well," Puck said. "And she said yes. All you have to do now is plan it, marry her, and begin a life with the woman you love."

"The proposal was the hard part," Zack said with a seemingly knowing smile. "I can't wait to get to all that."

"Haha… You think Kat is going to _let_ you plan your wedding? That's funny." Val laughed "Guess I won't be seeing Kat for a while. She has a knack for putting all her effort into planning events."

"Don't worry about it, Val," Puck encouraged. "At least you know she'll be your date to the wedding."

"And Will will be yours," Val said, nudging Puck. "By the way, you two really need to be more subtle if you're gonna try to keep things from Kat and I. Plus, Kat noticed how giddy she's been acting. No mistaking a girl in love."

"Huh? I-In l-l-love?" Puck chuckled nervously. "Wha-What are you talking about?"

"I think we know exactly we're talking about, Garlic Bread." Zack chuckled.

Val put his hands around Puck's shoulders as if to give him a man to man talk. "Welcome to the dating life, my friend." Puck's eyes shot open. Val pointed to where Kat, Al, and Will were standing. "If you date one of the them, you date all three of them." Val whipped Puck around so he was facing him. "Make sure that if Will wants you to spend the night that you plan on a scary movie marathon, and be ready to have two girls in your lap."

Puck looked back and forth between them. "Uh, guys, how much have you had to drink?" he asked, slightly serious. "Will and I are just friends."

"Nice try but you've been found out," Val countered. "I spotted you guys at the library, and took Kat to make sure I wasn't seeing things."

"You what? But wait, that wasn't… I mean, Will never said anything…" Puck stammered, trying to maintain himself. "She never even–"

"Hey Zack!" Will called, making the guys turn around . "This guy says you need to pay him, or he'll charge you for overtime." She was indicating the rabbit who had delivered the eggs. He was standing over by the girls.

"Oh yeah, sorry man," Zack said, gently smacking his forehead. He and the other guys joined the other group. "Kinda got caught up with proposing to the love of my life. How much do I owe you?"

"He said it's $150 for the hour," Will informed him.

"I think I got that." Zack got out his wallet and rifled through a few pockets before extracting the money. "Hey, thanks again for passing out the eggs, man."

"No problem," the rabbit replied. His voice was muffled from the mask, but it was easy to understand him. "Congratulations to you both. And if you need entertainment, we also do weddings." The rabbit then turned toward the girls. "Of course, I'm also available as an escort."

"Uh, define _escort_?" Will asked, becoming uneasy. She leaned into Kat. "Did Zack say where exactly he found this guy?" Kat just shrugged.

"Easy bunnies, didn't mean to ruffle your fur." The rabbit chuckled. "So, you wanna cut out early? I heard the theater down the street is still playing that _Captain America_ movie."

"Um, I have a boyfriend," Kat said a matter-of-factly, pointing to Val. The rabbit turned toward Val who was only three inches away from his face. Val puffed up his body faster than a gorilla in a zoo.

"Actually, I was talking to her," the rabbit corrected, pointing at Will. She blushed and inched closer to Kat and Al. Stepping away from Val, the rabbit tried getting closer to Will. "What's the matter, bunny rabbit? Thought Cap was your favorite?"

"W-What… Do I know you?" Will asked hesitantly.

"Oh, ouch! You wound me, Princess. And I thought we had something."

"Wait a second…" Will gasped. "Dean?"

The rabbit chuckled before removing his mask. When it was off, there stood a young man with short deep brunette hair and dark green eyes. The collar of his suit hung low without his mask, revealing he wore an umber shirt underneath. What was surprising was that he wore a brown bow tie that matched the color of Will's dress.

"Surprise!" The stranger flashed her a smile. "By the way, nice look, Will. I thought Halloween was months away?"

Will squealed and ran up to the stranger, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, picking her up off her feet. "You jerk!" Will scolded, laughing as he spun her. "You told me you were working tonight."

"I am. This is my second job. Aaron called in sick and the boss asked me to fill in," Dean explained. He set Will on her feet but kept his arms around her waist. "I know, super lame. Kids parties suck but least it pays good in tips."

"No, I think it's kinda cute, but that mask is really creepy."

"Umm, hello? Who is this?" Kat demanded.

"Oops!" Will blushed and turned to face her friends. "Well, guess I better come clean," she said. She took a step back and held her hand out to Dean.

"Kat, Al, everyone. I'd like you to meet Dean Harrison. My boyfriend!"

**XXX**

**AN: **I bet none of you were expecting that little twist in the end. Don't worry, all will be explained soon.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Love, It's Never Easy**

"Your WHAT?!" Kat and Al screamed together.

"Okay, starting to see why you wanted to keep things quiet," Dean joked, pretending to clean his ear. "I think I can still hear out this one."

"Oh shush." Will nudged his shoulder. "They're actually taking it better than I thought," she told him. "Still wish I'd had time to better prepare."

"Okay, hold up!" Kat said in her most sassy tone of voice. She snapped to Val "You said…" she started.

"I saw what I saw. That is all!" Val put his hand up as if being questioned by the police.

Al was enraged, like a volcano waiting to erupt. "Who the f–" Zack quickly covered her mouth before she could finish screaming.

Will looked around and saw the other guests were staring at them; her friends were making a scene. She quickly grabbed Kat and Al by their arms, and dragged them out into the hallway. She then pushed them into a near by broom closet and closed the door. When she turned on the light, all Will could see were Al and Kat madder than she had ever seen them. She tried to get them to calm down. It was a near impossible task.

"Who the hell is that?!" Kat hissed, spitting in Will's hair.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you two didn't really leave me much choice," Will said.

Al opened her mouth to answer, but was not quick enough to beat out Kat. "Much choice? Much choice! What do you mean we didn't leave you much choice?!" Kat argued.

Al again tried to speak but was stopped by Will's comment.

"Can you blame me? With all the blind dates and constant teasing about being single," Will rebutted. "Plus, you guys always made fun of the guys I liked, hence why I never said anything." She crossed her arms and looked pointedly at her friends. "I really am sorry I didn't tell you. Dean and I just happened. I wanted to see if this was anything before coming out."

Al tried a third time to speak, but was unsuccessful. "Okay, first of all, you're not _coming out_; you're not gay!" Kat shouted. "Second, I don't give a flying horse fart! How is he going to pass the friend test, huh? Huh? HUH!" She crossed her arms as well.

"Can I speak now?" Al asked Kat when it got quiet.

"Yeah, sure…" Kat said somewhat calmly. For the forth time, Al opened her mouth, but was again cut off by Kat's work rampage. "And another thing…"

"WILL YOU LET ME TALK?!" Kat looked at Al blankly, finally allowing her friend to talk. "Thank you." She turned to Will. "This is kind of a big secret, Will. You don't, you can't just keep these kinds of things from us."

"I know, and it killed me not telling you guys," Will apologized. "Can you forgive me? I mean, hey, now I can finally talk about some of the more fun stuff."

"Well, you could have been talking about this for however long your too have been dating. Wait a minute, how long HAVE you too been dating?" Kat asked as if questioning her alibi.

"About two months," Will confessed. "Give or take a day."

"Two months?!" Al shrieked but tried to calm herself down. "That's okay… I still have to give him my 'hurt her, I kill you' speech, ya know."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Will said. "So… Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

The tight space went silent. Kat was looking into a corner trying not to look at Will. A few seconds went by and all eyes were on Kat to say something. She sighed. "I suppose…"

"You girls are the best!" Will said. She grabbed her friends in a hug as the girls laughed.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" The girls opened the door to see Zack, Val, and Dean hovering in the hallway.

"Oh, nothing," Will said, sneaking a glance at Al and Kat. "Just a little girl talk, right ladies?"

"You just keep telling them that, sweet thing," Al said with a small smirk and a wink before eliciting a fit of giggles.

"Sometimes you worry me," Zack muttered under his breath. He shook his head before saying, "How about we get back to the party, huh? I gotta show my fiancé off, ya know?" He wrapped an arm around Al's waist and pulled her close.

He led the others out of the hallway and back into the main area. Will hung back a bit to gather herself. What a day! First, two of her friends were getting married, and then her secret boyfriend was found out, leading to an irate confrontation with her two best friends. She was exhausted.

"You look ready to pass out," Dean said. He set one gloved hand on her shoulder.

Will took a few calming breaths. "Nah, I'm fine. A little tired but not _that_ tired."

"So, what now?" he asked.

"Well, it is my best friend's engagement party. Feel like hanging around for a bit?" Will asked, giggling. "Now that the secret's out, the girls are gonna put you through interrogation."

"Pft! Like those two are a challenge," he said. "Come on, let's have some fun. I didn't want to pay for popcorn anyway."

"Like you ever do?" Will teased. "Okay, let's get back to the party. But, uh…you better change first. The rabbit suit is way too creepy, D."

"Oh, and here I thought it was a chick magnet." Dean smiled and kissed her cheek. "Just tell those other guys that your dance card's full."

"Ha! Like I dance!" They laughed until Dean started walking towards the bathrooms. Once he was out of sight, Will headed back to the party when she heard an intense knocking at the door. She walked over and opened it when a hand reached through, and dragged her outside.

"Aaah! What… What the heck?!" Will shouted. When she was outside, she got a better look at her captors. "Jack? Cupid? What are you guys doing here?"

"HOW COULD YOU!" Eros shouted. "After all I've done for you, THIS is how you repay me! By going off with some other…_boy_?!"

"Hey Jack," Will said, completely ignoring the frantic angel. "What brings you to my world?"

"Just assisting Valentine Town." Jack quickly held up his hands in defense. "I promise, no stealing this time," he said with a smile. "Valentine only asked that I assist Eros on one of his check-up runs. He told me a couple was to be engaged, and that he wanted a report of how it all went."

"Well, that's great but it's Easter, not Valentine's day."

"True, but Valentine keeps an eye out around the world to ensure love and happiness," Jack explained. "It's one of the added tasks of his holiday. However, I never thought the engagement we were to witness would be that of Al and Zack."

"You saw that? I didn't event see you two in the crowds," Will pointed out.

Jack chuckled. "Oh, Eros wanted to, but I figured we weren't properly attired for such an event. We witnessed the whole thing through an opened widow near the back," he clarified. "It was difficult to at first when the crowds gathered, but Eros used a Valentine Mirror for us to see the entire proposal. Besides, we were asked to observe, not to intervene."

"Speaking of engaged ladies, how's Sally? I hadn't gotten a chance to talk with her in a while."

"She's doing well," he replied. "She will be happy to hear the good news. Oh, please extend congratulations to Al and Zack on our behalf. I know everyone in town will be excited to here they will be wed."

"Can do."

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Eros shouted. He had been trying to get their attention with little success.

Will sighed and turned to him. "Don't you have some arrows to shoot or something?" she said, wishing she was not dealing with her least favorite holiday figure.

Eros huffed. "This is far more important! I just don't understand…" The angels demeanor suddenly changed from rage to pathetic sulking. "What was wrong with Puck? He's handsome, clever, and is descended from royal bloodlines. What makes that urchin–" Eros winced at the thought of Will's romantic choice. "–more suitable?"

"Look," Will said, loosing her patience. "I thought I already made it clear that I'm not interested in Puck. He and I are just friends."

"But you two are positively perfect for each other…"

"Yeah, we get along, but I don't see having a future with him other than as a friend," Will stated. She crossed her arms, raising one eyebrow in his direction. "Besides, I like to have a choice in who I date."

"Eros, please," Jack intervened, seeing where this was going. "What's important here is Will's happiness. You can't force two people together. It doesn't work that way."

"Ha! Shows what you know," Eros stated, turning to the side with a hand on his hip. "When I made matches, people would be completely happy."

"Would they? Valentine told us you would shoot at random," Jack said, making Eros wince. "They may have seemed happy at first, but did you ever consider what happened after the initial romance wore off?"

"No kidding," Will added curtly. "Do I even need to bring up all the twisted pairings that came from that? Pretty much your fault we have stalkers, pedophiles, and other complete psychos running around claiming what they do is for love. It's not love, it's sick."

"GAH! This is infuriating!" Eros then reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be an old fashioned compact mirror. Opening it, he pressed a few buttons before a low ringing was heard. When it stopped, an image appeared on the glass.

"What do you want now, Eros?" Valentine's image groaned. He looked to be doing some paperwork.

"You _jackanapes_! You knew about this, didn't you? You knew my fair princess had been sneaking around with some lowlife scum when I had a prince waiting to sweep her away to a life of perfect romance!" Tears began welling in his eyes for a moment. "And now my sweet princess is using dirty words and saying awful things."

"The language has changed over the past decades. Besides, it was your own fault Willa does not prefer your company, idiot."

"Bite your tongue, I know it's all that boy's fault! He did this to my sweet Willa!"

"Is this what it feels like to be out of the loop?" Will whispered to Jack.

"Must be," he replied. "Perhaps you should go back to the party."

"Yeah. Better to slip out when he doesn't not–"

"DON'T YOU DARE MOVE, MISSY!" Eros barked, causing Will to remain put. "Nobody's going anywhere until the matter of this, this…punk kid is resolved!"

"Ah, I see you learned of Dean. It couldn't be helped," Valentine said casually.

"Couldn't be helped? Damn it, Vally, I'm your partner! You should tell me these things! I'm the matchmaker, after all. I have a right to know."

"Need I remind you that you were not to interfere in this assignment?"

Eros lost it. "How could you? I thought we had something, Vally! I work and slave, and have been well restrained over the centuries, but you can't even trust me with something like this?! Where'd it all go, I ask you! So I made a few teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy little mistakes here and there; I thought we had looked past all that. I'm the Matchmaker; I know what's best!"

From over Eros' shoulder, Jack and Will watched Valentine sigh, adjust his glasses and then turn to look at his partner.

"I've been over this before, Eros. Matchmaking is a gimmick made by the internet dating industry. What we do here is help bring two lost souls together to create one entity. When you go off firing arrows at everything—and I do mean every thing—you deem fit as 'perfect,' I must ensure ways that the _right_ pair are brought together. I had warned you at Christmas that young Willa was not ready to find love, yet you set off to force her into a relationship that had no time to grow, let alone blossom. Now you've place Ferdinando in an unbreakable bond for a girl who cannot be his because her heart belongs to another. Do you not even realizer the damage you've done?"

Eros was about to retort but clamped his mouth shut.

"If that's all you've to report, then leave me be. You were sent to see if the engagement was proceeding as planned. Not spy on Willa."

The stoic statement seemed to have broken the spell, invoking second wind from Eros. "How can you speak of work at a time like this!"

As Eros went on, both Jack and Will watched with concern. He was really venting into Valentine, but in all honestly, Eros was making a poor argument.

Jack leaned over to Will. "Perhaps now you might want to slip away," he suggested. "I believe your friends will worry if you don't return, especially Dean."

"Yeah, and as much as I like seeing Eros in trouble, this could take awhile," Will whispered back. "And yeah, Dean will start searching if he doesn't find me back with the others. I promise, I'll fill you in next time I see you. Not to mention I promised Sally I'd tell her all the juicy details."

"I know she'll look forward to that." Jack waved and watched Will disappear back into the building before turning his focus back to Eros. He was pacing frantically back and forth, still screaming at the little compact.

Finally he stopped, his face red with rage, and all but screamed. "You coldhearted monster! _Why didn't you tell me?!_"

Jack sighed. He had a feeling he was going to be late for dinner.

From inside, Will laughed as she listened to Jack try to calm Eros down. The poor skeleton was in for a long night. She watched the scene for a couple more minutes before joining her friends back. There was a loud commotion coming from the room. Will opened the door and suddenly found it hard not to stare. It seemed everybody was now on the dance floor doing the Electric Slide.

"Ha! And I thought this was saved for the wedding reception."

"You and me both." Will turned around to see Puck walking up to her. "So, still not gonna join in?" he asked, indicating the dancing.

"Nah, I'm good," Will said, watching the dancers. "I was never good at the Slide." Will then turned to Puck. "So, you straighten things out with everyone?" she asked.

"Yeah. When Val told me he caught us at the library, I guess he didn't realize you were only helping me with my English paper." He chuckled. "He had a few comments about me needing a tutor. Of course, Zack didn't buy it at first. He thought I didn't need school because I've already done it countless times. Then I showed him the online course schedule." Puck smiled proudly. "By the way, eighty-five on the paper."

"What? Puck, that's great!" Will jumped and hugged Puck, too excited to do anything else. "I knew you could do it!"

"Only because you helped me," he said, setting her down. "I had no clue how to write an analytical essay for a sonnet, and I actually met Shakespeare."

"You would've been fine without me. I'm just happy I could help. It's the least I could do for all the lessons you've given me. I'd never be able to control my vampiric abilities if it weren't for you."

"Well, my uncles really did most of the work." Puck blushed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "But honestly, I would've done it anyway. I'd do anything for you, Will."

"I know. You've been a great friend."

"Yeah, friend…" The was an awkward pause before Puck spoke again. "So, Dean. He, uh, he seems like a good guy."

"Oh, the best," Will said. "I met him in my writing class. He's also a bit of a showoff, especially on his skateboard. I can't tell you how many times I've had to patch him up."

"I told you that you'd make a good nurse," Puck teased.

"And I told you, I don't do protruding bones," Will reminded him.

"Or needles," Puck said, doing a slight imitation. "Don't get me started on needles!"

Will and Puck were laughing when Dean reentered the room. He had removed his rabbit suit and now showed off in practical dark jeans and his burnt umber shirt. In addition to the bow tie, Dean now wore a pair of matching chocolate ears. He joined Will and Puck, his hand coming to rest on Will's shoulder.

"Hey Princess, miss me?" he asked after a quick peck to her cheek. Puck flinched at the action.

"Oh, were you missing?" Will teased. She brought up her hand to rest over Dean's.

"Real cute."

"Actually, we were just talking about you," Puck interrupted. "Will tells me you're quite the skater."

"Oh, she bring that up again." Dean smirked. "Who'd a thought? I see her walking to our professor's office to discuss a paper and I decide to try impressing her with a trick. I end slicing my arm on concrete."

"Of course, he remembers I can't turn an injury away and asks me out while I'm patching him up," Will finished. "Who'd have thought behind that sardonic skater-boy was a completely sweet, and charming guy."

"Thanks Will." He pulled her tighter to his side and kissed her cheek again. "So, I'm guessing this is the infamous Puck I've heard about?" he asked, looking to Puck. "Huh, no offense, but I thought you'd be taller."

"You know about me?"

"Yeah, Will talks about her friends all the time," Dean explained. "My fault, really. I got curious about who she hangs out with so I started asking questions. Now I get to find out how much of what she said is actually true."

"Hey!" Will poked his side. "You wanted to play Two Truths and a Lie," she said. "Besides, you're the one who tried that bogus story about living next door to Billy Idol."

Dean rolled his eyes, but his half smile told he was only playing. "Jeez, I can't get away with anything."

Will smiled. "Nope."

Puck laughed. "Don't worry, Dean, she lets you win once in a while."

"Good to know." The music slowed as the Electric Slide came to an end. Some of the group broke off as the song changed to "Black Sheep."

"Sweet! They finally played something descent." Dean then turned to Will and held out his hand. "How bout it, Will? Wanna dance?" he asked.

Puck smiled, thinking, _Pft! Poor guy. Looks like he's about to be number fourteen._

"Haha, okay, why not!" Will took Dean's hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. Puck stared in shock. Will had actually agreed to dancing? She never agreed to dancing. He was still in staring as he watched her and Dean. They never got close, but Will was clearly having a good time.

Puck knit his brows. _She never wanted to dance with me…_

"Hey, Garlic!" Zack said, coming up and slapping Puck on the back. "Cheer up, would ya? It's my engagement party. Quit bumming people out."

"Zack, I've told you before, don't smack me," Puck moaned. He rubbed his shoulders, trying to reach his back. "You always manage to hit my wings."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Zack waited for Puck to jib him back, but he received nothing. His winged buddy only stared off at the dance floor. Zack followed his gaze until it fell on Will and Dean.

"Oh, right! That happened…" Zack set a comforting hand on Puck's shoulder. "Hey man, don't worry about it," he told him. "Look, how bout tomorrow I help you find someone new. There's that new chick in the firm who I've seen eyeing you. You know, the tall chick from the Caribbean?"

"Thanks Zack but my eyes are only for Will," Puck replied, removing his friend's hand.

Zack frowned. "Uh, hate to be Captain Obvious, but dude! She's taken."

"I know, and I'm happy for her, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to give up on her." Puck chuckled at the skeptic look on Zack's face. "Don't worry," he encouraged, "I'm not gonna start stalking them, or try to sabotage their relationship. I meant it when I said I'm happy for her. I just don't plan to give up until I no longer see a chance for me."

"Okay… I guess if that's what you want," Zack said. "Kinda fruity in the loops crazy though."

"It may be crazy, but it's how I feel." Puck turned to Zack. There was a sad smile on his face.

"Say, if it helps, Al thought there was something off about this Dean guy," Zack said, hoping to cheer Puck up. "If you like, Al can tell you all her conspiracy theories. She's weird but she's right most of the time."

"No, please, just let it be," Puck replied, turning back to the dance floor.

The song had changed, this time to "How To Be A Heartbreaker." Dean tried to pull Will in closer. She easily avoided him, like a sprite evading capture. It only made Dean laugh and try again. Zack did not see anything wrong with the him; Dean seemed to be an alright guy. But he also knew never to doubt when Al got the heebie-jeebies about a person. Though, he had to admit, it looked like they were having fun. But where did that leave Puck?

He turned to see Puck still watching Will. At first, he seemed happy. He still smiled and no doubt he was picking up whatever they were saying with his superhuman hearing. However, that was not what caught Zack's attention. It was what he saw in his friend's eyes, a look of pain, but also of acceptance.

"You said yourself you felt a connection with Al and you didn't even know if you would see her again," Puck said, he's gaze never wavering. "That's how I feel about Will. Even before Eros hit me with a love arrow, I knew I felt something for her."

Puck turned to face Zack, the sadden look still in his eyes, but something lighter to it. Zack knew instantly what it was.

"I've been around a long time, Zack, and I wish I could say I never dated, but that would be a lie. However, Will is not like any of the girls I've met before. Will is bright and fun, and she has this presence about her. She cares for others and while she may not always agree, she stands by her friends and does whatever she can to help them. She even sacrificed herself to save a whole other world when she could have gone back home and been safe. I don't need a magic arrow to know how I feel."

"But dude, she has a boyfriend," Zack reminded him. "I get you like her, but if this goes somewhere…"

"I understand."

"Do you? Dude, she really likes this guy. Maybe even loves him," he pleaded. "I don't wanna see you get hurt if this ends up becoming the real deal."

"Then I'll be happy for her," Puck stated. "If she really likes Dean, then I'll support her. Hell, I'll even help her. What matters to me is that she's happy. Even if that means she is happy with someone else."

"Puck…"

"It can't be helped." Puck sighed."All I want is for her to be happy." He took one last glance. Dean had caught Will and was spinning her around. She was smiling and laughing. It brought a lighter smile to Puck's face.

Zack sighed. There really was no talking Puck out of this. In fact, there was only one thing to do.

Taking him by the arm, Zack pulled Puck over to the punch table. There was still some sangria left. He filled a cup and handed it to Puck.

"You're in love. Have a drink."

**The End**

* * *

**AN: **Well, that's it for this story!

Once again, I'd like to thank CosmicHorse and my other friend, hereby now known as MojitoHurricane, for all they're help in filling in their characters. I also want to thank Werejaguar of Halloween Town for all the editing she's done. All three of you girls are wickedly fantastic!


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